The Hunter Hunted
by PenMagic
Summary: Hunter's arrogant and self-important attitude is a facade, it all is. When the Dalton boys do some background research on their new captain, they discover the reality of why Hunter is at Dalton and why he needs Blaine in the Warblers so badly. Rated T for language and sensitive issues.
1. New Beginning

**Hello! So this story is going to be a little different. I am yet to write a Hunter Clarington fanfic but, I think like many, I have fallen for the charms of the new Warbler captain. This story is a little far-fetched and will only continue as long as people are interested. This is my - I can't keep track - Glee story and I hope that you enjoy it!**

**This story will look at why Hunter really came to Dalton, his story of being given the scholarship being a lie (in the story) and the boys find out what really happened. For the first few chapters, I hope to establish Hunter's character and write out the scenes that we have seen him in in Dynamic Duets, while the boys find out the truth in the background.**

**I hope you enjoy it. Obviously, I don't own any characters or songs or whatever that you recognise. This story is dedicated to my incredible friends Magic Of Every Kind and SilverThornFeather as well as my dedicated reader nomorecandles who I apologise profusely to for ending Uniform. Magic has written several awesome stories for both The Avengers, Ratchett and Clank and Merlin. If, like me, you are mourning the loss of a fandom in the last episode of Merlin being aired yesterday evening (way to ruin Christmas BBC!), I would highly recommend her. She is MEGA talented at writing and mark my words, you will see her name on book covers soon!**

**Also, the quote at the beginning isn't actually a Hunter quote, the story began in the first person and I liked the beginning so much that I decided to keep it. I have a plan for there to be a 'quote' at the beginning of each chapter!**

**Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it and to all those who don't, enjoy the holiday!**

**Chapter 1**

'Some say that animals, especially carnivores, can smell fear. They can smell when you are afraid, your most animalistic and raw emotions. I think it's the same with boys. They can sense what you are feeling, even your most complicated and buried emotions, ones you may not even know you are feeling.' – Hunter Clarington

He could see them all staring at him. He hated people staring at him unless he was in charge. He was definitely not in charge, and he hated it. There was a perfectly logical explanation for everyone staring at him. He was new. It wasn't exactly rocket science to work out why he was singled out as the new boy. He was the one kid in a combat army uniform in comparison to all the navy blue blazers and red piping. His backpack was hitched up on his back and he stared up at the rising building that was his new school: Dalton Academy School for Boys. He waited in anticipation, waited for the jeers and sneers at standing out in the crowd. But they didn't come. Sure there were a few glances but they were curious rather than accusatory.

"Hey." The word came, the sharp tone that he had been anticipating, was finally audible.

He turned to see a light-brown haired boy of his age striding towards him, a confident smirk on his face. Perhaps he could relax, but something inside him made him stop. Maybe it was the years of training and trials that meant he immediately frowned, adopted a defensive stance and put his bag down slowly, not wanting to have his hands full if he was going to be attacked.

"Yeah?" He asked accusingly. He didn't mean to be so defensive but it was instinctive.

The boy put his hands up in mock defence. "Hey don't worry. You must be our newest transfer, Hunter Clarington."

Hunter looked at the boy in front of him, analysing everything as he had been trained to do. The boy was clearly relaxed, his shoulders back and posture good but he was leaning slightly on one foot and the folded arms were more of a natural stance than a defensive move. Politely, he took off his cap and nodded.

"That's me. Senior and former captain of the show choir at my last school. That is why I am here."

The boy frowned momentarily. "I don't think I understand your last statement fully but I am sure I will in time." He extended his right hand straight towards Hunter. "Sebastian Smythe, senior, deputy head boy and captain of the Warblers. The latter being our show choir here."

Hunter nodded, it was fortunate indeed that he had run into Sebastian as the first person he met; it saved an awful lot of trouble. He took the hand and shook it firmly, admittedly feeling a little weird greeting as such, used to snapping a salute beforehand. He grabbed his rucksack and pulled a piece of paper from the top. "I've been told I'm in Room 412, do you know how to get there?"

Sebastian nodded. "Yeah, of course that make sense for you to be Trent's new neighbour." He started to walk towards the tall building and Hunter fell into step beside him. "All the seniors here are on the fourth floor but there's a lift to take you up there with all your stuff." He nodded to the large rucksack that Hunter had casually slung over his back. "Is that everything?"

His tone was questioning as well as curious and Hunter once more immediately fell back into defensive mode. "No, of course not. My folks are sending more of my stuff over in the next few days." He patted the bag slightly comfortingly. "There's a lot of stuff in there. Where I came from, you learn to put a lot of stuff into a small space." Sebastian nodded, slightly unsure how to respond. "So how have the Warblers done in recent years?" Hunter didn't particularly want to make conversation but he knew he had to if he wanted to put his past behind him.

Sebastian's smile grew, clearly the group meant a lot to him. "Last year we made it to Regionals and the same the year before that. I don't know much about that year or before that as I wasn't in the Warblers then."

Hunter raised an eyebrow. "So are you the only lead Warbler then? And Regionals is all you've ever made it to?"

"Hey," Sebastian retorted immediately, "the Warblers in my sophomore and junior years were amazing. We still are. We've just lost a couple of amazing voices though. I'm not the only lead, Nick Davis who rooms on the other side of Trent is also lead and we did have Blaine Anderson until he left Dalton to join his boyfriend at public at the end of last year." Hunter looked at him incredulously. "Tell me about it. It's gotta be one of the most stupid things he's done, like ever."

Hunter snorted. "I reckon with some persuasion he can come back." Hunter's brilliant and strategic mind was working fast. "What's the age difference between them?"

They had entered the building and Hunter tried not to look shocked at how impressive the inside of the building was. The main entrance hall was a large space with sofas lining the walls and a reception desk to one side. Boys were milling about and corridors lead off to different places all over the room. Sebastian was walking towards a large set of oak doors at the end of the room which Hunter deduced must lead to the room and he quickly caught up with the tall senior.

After a pause, Sebastian answered his question as they waited for the lift to come, Hunter being rather inclined to race Sebastian up to the fourth floor, he knew he would win even with all his gear, it wasn't that difficult. "Kurt has just graduated and Blaine is our age. I believe he wants join Kurt in New York once he graduates." He frowned as the doors opened and a few boys stepped out, nodding to Sebastian in respect and greeting. "Why do you ask? And what did you mean by you're here because of your last show choir?"

Hunter pursed his lips, not sure how to answer the question without making his first enemy. "It's something I need to discuss with all the Warblers. Would it be possible for me to audition and meet them?"

Although Hunter hadn't actually answered the question as fully as Sebastian would have liked, the latter decided to ignore this fact. He was a different guy, no more blackmail or assault or indeed a repeat of what had happened last year. "We have a meeting at 8pm tonight; I'll show you around and take you after dinner." The doors of the lift slid open and the two boys exited the lift, the corridor busy and many boys were milling about. "The senior corridor has its quiet periods but now, just after classes have been let out, is definitely not one of them. Don't worry, the guys are cool." He added as he saw a flicker of apprehension in Hunter's eyes. Suddenly he seemed to spot someone and called over the noise. "Hey Jeff!"

Hunter watched as a blonde haired boy turned and made his way through the crowd who had mostly fallen silent at the arrival of the two boys. The blonde boy had bright blue eyes and a wide, gracious smile. He high-fived Sebastian before grinning at the pair. "Hey Sebastian! You must be our newest transfer Hunter." He put his hand out politely. "I'm Jeff Rivers, head boy here and I think I've got the room opposite from you." Hunter nodded and took the hand, unsure of how to react to his piece of news.

"Hi, good to meet you." He stated lamely, so original.

Sebastian saved him in the awkward silence. "Hunter was captain of his last show choir and he wants to audition for the Warblers. I said we'd do it tonight." He informed Jeff who nodded eagerly.

"Brilliant! There are 14 of us at the moment; it would be good to have a fresh face around in the group." Jeff seemed to be genuinely excited about it as he nodded down the corridor. "Let me show you your room, 412 isn't it?"

Hunter nodded as the boys who had been watching started to talk again, a couple still slightly astonished at the sight of army uniform in Dalton halls. That hadn't been seen around for a while.

Jeff swiped the card on the lanyard he had around his neck on the buzzer by the oak door that had the brass numbers 412 on it. They could hear a click from behind the door and Jeff pushed the door open to reveal Hunter's room.

The room was far bigger than Hunter had been used to. All of a sudden, he had space and luxury. The double bed lined part of the right hand wall of the room and had thick duvets ad fluffy pillows that Hunter wanted to go and squeeze they looked so fluffy. He had a tall wardrobe and a huge chest of drawers covering part of the left wall, Hunter could bet that inside the furniture he would find his new uniform. There was a large mahogany desk at the back of the room with new textbooks and new paper, everything he needed for school life, next to a large bay window with a panoramic view over the Dalton grounds.

"So, what do you think?" Hunter had admittedly completely forgotten that Jeff and Sebastian were still there.

He turned sharply and nodded approvingly. "It's nice, really nice. Much better than my last place." He smiled at that and so did the two boys.

"What do you want to do?" Jeff asked. "We can grab your schedule tomorrow morning and dinner isn't for another hour. Do you want to come and meet some of the other boys, or stay and unpack? We don't want you to be on your own for the first few days so you get used to the place. It's totally your call though."

Hunter observed the two boys. From what he could hear, there was no malice, no spite, no sarcasm in what Jeff said. He seemed to genuinely want to be Hunter's friend. But the last time he had had a friend that had definitely not finished well.

He shrugged. "I think I'll unpack first if that's okay. I reckon I will need a couple of helping hands to work my way around the place later. Thank you Sebastian and Jeff."

The boys nodded. "We'll come back for you in let's say an hour?" Sebastian suggested.

Hunter shrugged and nodded. "Sounds good."

He didn't want to say anything else and the boys weren't going to press him for any other information. Silently, Jeff and Sebastian slipped back outside the room, closing the door on Hunter. "Thoughts?" Jeff asked after a moment, his eyes darting momentarily to the door that they had just closed.

Sebastian frowned. "Definitely straight."

Jeff rolled his eyes with a small smile on his face. "You would notice that thing first of all, wouldn't you Seb?"

Sebastian let a weak smirk pass over features before relapsing into a thoughtful expression. "But there's something I can't put my finger on. He said something earlier about the reason he was here was his show choir but it didn't make any sense. He won't go into any detail about it. And he's turned up in military uniform? What kind of school would have a military kit as their uniform?"

Jeff raised an eyebrow. "A military academy?" His raised eyebrows turned down into a frown. "Why would someone come from a military academy to here unless we had someone needing protection?"

They mused this for a moment. "I don't think it's that." Sebastian spoke after a moment as Nick and Trent joined them. "He's a defence. As soon as he heard my voice, he fell back into a defensive stance. I should know, I've used the same moves before. I don't think he's telling the truth."

"Who you talking about? The Hunter kid?" Trent asked innocently and Nick whacked him playfully over the head.

"No Trent, we're discussing the resident ghost Sir Nicholas De Mimsey-Porpington, the new ghost of the Dalton fourth floor."

"But he's – oh." Trent was about to complain at the fact that ghosts don't exist and point out the Harry Potter reference Nick had made before realising he was being teased. The three boys were grinning at him. "It was always worth checking you know. I agree with Sebastian though, he looks like a lost puppy, much like Blaine did when he arrived here." Nick and Jeff nodded, the three of them remembering Blaine joining them a semester into their freshman year.

"How do I hear the sacred name of our hallowed dearly departed?" A voice floated down the hallway they turned to see the Warblers' secret weapon in Jon Whitely, their resident beat box master.

Nick had to suppress a snort. "Blaine's only an hour drive away at another school, Jon. You make him sound like he's six feet under instead!"

The boy sauntered over to the group, messing up his hair as he usually did a wide smile on his face. "Well seeing as we haven't seen him in a while, you would have thought so quite frankly. When did we last see him?"

Nick raised an eyebrow. "Please don't tell me you've forgotten this summer?" He practically begged and Jon laughed.

"Are you freaking kidding me? How could I forget? This summer was awesome!" His grin was large and boys nodded in assent.

"Still, that does make it nearly six weeks since we've seen him." Trent sighed. "I reckon he needs a visit."

Jeff pursed his lips. "Let's see what we can do. Anyway, let's go over to my room and see what we can sort out."

And from behind the door, Hunter took his head off the door where he had been leaning again, quickly affixing his tie that he had been putting on when we had heard the name of the Gryffindor Tower ghost. He was glad to hear he wasn't the only Potterhead here, perhaps even some fellow Slytherins on Pottermore.

Casting the thought of Potter madness aside, Hunter mused about their potential finding. He had lied to Sebastian; he really did have that much in his backpack. Sure the whole thing of learning to pack small was true, but he hadn't packed much, he hadn't had time. It hadn't taken him more than a minute to get himself orientated in his room and putting what he had grabbed into various drawers and putting others on top of drawers and counters. He felt comfortable in his new uniform, the blazer was a perfect fit and he liked it much better than his military gear. Still, Hunter took off his cap and deftly detached the pin from the top before fixing it to his lapel. He couldn't lose his roots, not just yet.

Checking himself momentarily in the mirror to see if his hair was neat enough, Hunter turned and walked towards the door of his room. It was time to leave his past behind and start a new future, one that had no bullying in it and one that finally involved him being in control. He had to have control, and he had to have the best. And now, the best started with the Warblers and a certain seemingly Dalton legend.

**Is anyone else on Pottermore? Don't you just LOVE it?! I'm a Ravenclaw, the smallest house and I kinda hazard a guess at Hunter being a Slytherin...What did you think?**


	2. Taking Control

**Hello! Oh my gosh, thank you so much for the amazing feedback for chapter 1. You guys are so kind and I can't believe you liked it! It was such a whim idea and it's more popular than my Klaine fanfic (its called Fragmented, go check it out!) which I also love and started writing about the same time as this.**

**So, this goes onto Hunter meeting the Warblers. I do not own the song that features in this chapter, I have dulled down the language (it's To Be A Man by Clark Baxtresser from Holy Musical Batman, so for those who know it you will understand why) and I don't usually swear so that was another reason for making it more friendly! I came up with the idea to put Starkid into Glee when I was still writing chapter 1 at my friends house so big hi and hello to SilverThornFeather, at least I think that's her name now...**

**Thanks for reading this and I hope you enjoy the almost double in length chapter. I will be only really able to update once a month as I have so many fanfics going on at the moment and I am in my last year at school so I'm working hard for university! I just got into my favourite one so fingers crossed for the summer exams!**

**ENJOY!**

**Chapter 2**

'To take control is one of the most important things in life. If you cannot take control of life, either your own or someone else's, you suck at life. Simple as.' – Hunter Clarington

The cafeteria was far too crowded for Hunter's liking. The sound of boys chattering was obnoxiously loud as it filled his eardrums. Perhaps it was because he was used to very quiet murmuring or indeed more commonly, silence, the idea of so much noise was overwhelming. There couldn't be more than 300 boys in the room plus the double dozen or so of faculty, but the noise was like Grand Central Station and Hunter hated New York. As much as his clear love for musical theatre drew him towards the glittering lights of Broadway, he couldn't stand all the disorganised hustle and bustle. Not to mention the fact that he couldn't bring himself to go to the memorial for 9/11. His father had had a meeting in that building, the first time he had ever been there. And now he was gone. His mother had forced him to go there at the unveiling, see it once, but Hunter had then locked himself away at school, it was the only way to run. He hadn't seen his younger sister Tiffany, in nearly 3 years. She had to be 16 by now, wow that was a scary thought. Sure they spoke from time to time but Hunter was always vague and never paid that much attention. He couldn't even remember where she was at school now.

Collecting his tray of food, he had picked it out from the International Buffet himself, he turned around and scanned the room, looking for an empty table. That was what he was used to. Ever since…he didn't want to think about it but he didn't know anyone well enough to ask to join them. Perhaps he could just perch on the side of one of the round tables, like he was used to. If only they weren't all round it would be easier.

"Hunter!" The shout over the noise made him jump slightly. He saw Jeff standing and waving him over, not far from where he was now. He noticed Sebastian was there as well as a couple of other boys who were also wearing the same canary badge on their lapel. He didn't know whether to feel apprehensive at this invitation, questioning their motives, or glad that he might have someone to talk to a little during his meal. Admittedly sitting on your own with nothing but the occasional snide comment or slushie heading his way, was pretty boring and Hunter was glad to note mentally that there was not a slushie machine in sight.

He manoeuvred his way over to the table. "Almost thought you weren't going to join us there for a second." The boy to Jeff's left who had brown hair that fell flat on his head and sparkling brown eyes, commented light-heartedly as the others momentarily agreed, Hunter ducking his head in embarrassment before raising it again, not wanting to appear weak before the boys. "I'm Nick Duval by the way."

He nodded and smiled weakly. "Hi Nick. I guess I'm not really used to all this noise and being invited to sit with people. At my last school, we had a seating plan and I was nowhere near any one."

That drew quite a few raised eyebrows and Hunter mentally cursed himself for mentioning it. "How come? Did no one like you or were you bullied?" Jeff sounded genuinely concerned and Hunter shook himself, he didn't want pity or concern, he was a different person now.

Hunter fixed a smile on his face. "No of course not. I put it the wrong way. Everyone was pretty much on their own in the cafeteria. The staff didn't tolerate communication at times; they found it easier to control us then."

They seemed to accept this reasoning and Hunter was glad for this fact. The topic was changed again as Sebastian's eyes lit up as he noticed the added decoration to Hunter's lapel. "Hey, is that where you used to go then?" He asked a slight tone of surprise and joy in his voice. "THE Colorado Springs Military Academy?"

Hunter nodded as Sebastian smirked in satisfaction, or was it grinned? But the other boys looked confused. "Went here from the age of seven." He added a hint of pride in his voice.

"No offense Hunter," a boy who Hunter recognised as the voice of Jon, "but why are you grinning like the Cheshire Cat Bastian? And, military academy?"

Hunter cut in before Sebastian could. "My father managed to pull some strings. Up until a couple of years ago, I was set on going into the army once I'd graduated."

"What does your dad think about you changing schools then?" Jon's questions didn't seem to bother Hunter until that one did. He felt tears welling up but he forced them back down again and ducked his head. Noticing he had said something wrong and pulled at a string, Jon turned slightly pale. "I'm sorry Hunter, I was being too forward."

Hunter shook his head, he could do this. "9/11. I enrolled so I could ensure that it never happened again."

An awkward silence fell over the group and they started to eat before Sebastian remembered Jon's question. "I was smiling 'like a Cheshire Cat' as you so aptly put it, because the show choir at the academy is awesome." He turned to Hunter with eyes sparkling. "Were you a part of the group?"

Hunter bit his lip and saluted half-heartedly. "Lieutenant Clarington, captain of the choir, at your service."

The boys grinned, as much as one can with a mouthful of food, at this public display of Hunter's past. "Well it would be good to be able to instil some order and discipline into the group." Nick joked and quite a few of the boys around the table smirked in agreement.

"Hey, Jeff and Trent and I have a pretty hard job trying to keep the calm. It doesn't help matters that Wes asked for his gavel to be sent to him at Harvard late last year, it was the only thing to keep you lot quiet, the reverence for that thing." Sebastian mock protested and several boys mock gasped at his lack of reverence for the famed gavel that had been so commonly attached to Wes Montgomery's hand, or had been in their sophomore year. Sebastian looked to his fellow council members for support. "It isn't exactly easy to control a bunch of hormonal boys."

Hunter couldn't help but agree. "Well I hope I will be of some assistance." He added dryly, oh this was going to be more than that.

Nick turned to Jeff who was idly turning his spaghetti with his fork. "There's something about spaghetti that is so…"

Jeff cut him off promptly. "No Nick, not on your life. We are NOT having a food fight."

Hunter looked up sharply, that he would definitely not be able to stand. "You guys have food fights?" He asked, trying to mask the fear in his voice. He could handle this kind of chaos but not much more.

There were several splutters. "Well, we try not to," Jeff glared at Sebastian who was smirking, "but there are some students who still think they are 10 and therefore feel it is perfectly reasonable to have one from time to time."

Nick sunk back down, his mouth turned down into a mock frown. "You've become no fun recently Jeff. What happened to you?"

Jeff raised an eyebrow. "I was given responsibility. They couldn't have given me head boy because of my perfect track record," there were definitely several splutters and Hunter secretly wondered how tarnished it really was, "I know it isn't perfect by any means, but I think they want me to be a leader."

There were several eye rolls. "I have to agree with Nick on this one Jeff. Loosen up dude, we've got to set a good example for Hunter," Sebastian nodded, recognising the boy who hadn't spoken too much at this revelation, "and still be as natural as possible." His eyes lit up. "You know what would be perfect? An impromptu performance!"

There was a chorus of agreement and Jeff sighed and then shook his head. "I'm sorry guys, since when has an impromptu performance actually worked?"

There was a pause as the boys winced. "What are you guys all wincing at?" A boy with close dark curls to his head and bright dark eyes and tanned skin joined them at the table. He grinned at Hunter and stuck out his hand. "Hi, you must be Hunter, the newest senior transfer." Hunter took it and nodded. "I'm Cameron James, junior so you won't see me as much as the others. Good to meet you."

The rest of the meal passed with conversation that Hunter rarely knew about: classes, teachers, homework and the Warblers came up too. Sure they tried to include him from time to time but it was difficult to understand the lingo that he was alien to, hear the names of teachers and boys he had never met. So he sat there, solidly eating away at his food, throwing in the odd comment but mostly watching and noting the large amount of times that this 'Blaine Anderson' dude came up. Oh how he regretted slightly the ways things were right now, but he had come to Dalton for two purposes, although only one was to be known by the boys. He had to execute the plan perfectly, he was used to this kind of strategy, and even if one thing went wrong, he would be mentally kicking himself for a long time.

Eventually the meal ended and Hunter stood with the others and took his tray back to the side. He wasn't sure totally what he was doing but he was used to going with the flow so that was what he chose.

As he left the cafeteria with the others, Hunter fell in step with Trent who seemed nice enough but he could never be sure from just a couple of very brief and non-committal exchanges. "So, where are we headed?" He asked as the six or seven boys headed back in towards the main building.

Trent smiled. "It's time for our Warbler meeting. It counts as neither curricular nor co-curricular as not just anyone can join it."

Hunter nodded, select, he liked the sound of that. "So where do the group meet?"

Trent seemed very open and Hunter was glad of the way he seemed to be so open to answer his questions. It wasn't difficult to get an answer for anything out of the boy. "We have two meeting places. Our main one is just behind the main doors to the library and it's where we hold our official meetings. Despite the architecture, it's totally sound proof and generally boys don't seem to complain if they hear an impromptu Warbler performance as you saw, or a rehearsal. Our second is for our rehearsals which is closer to the dorms and earns the boys can hear us which they all prefer as well as us."

Hunter nodded in understanding, quietly impressed that they had two meeting rooms and that the boys liked to hear them as he had seen, that was a first. "So which one are we going to today?" He asked quizzically although he had a feeling he knew what the answer was already.

They turned yet another corner as Trent answered easily. "The first one, so you can audition. Do you know what you'll sing?" Hunter nodded, he had known for the last hour, rehearsing mentally, his warm ups already complete. "Any spills?" Hunter shook his head; it all had to be a surprise.

Just as they were about to go in, Jeff at the front stopped, ensuring all behind him too and he turned to Hunter with a small smile on his face. "Unfortunately, we have to confer with the other Warblers to allow you entry to audition as you aren't an official Warbler yet. Tradition, you know?" Hunter nodded, a school as old has this had to have traditions that had to be respected. "Great, if you just take a seat there," he indicated a small, mahogany bench to the right of the door, "ten one of the boys will be sent to collect you when we are ready. You cool with that?"

Hunter shrugged and smiled slightly. "You're the boss Jeff, I'll be here."

And he sat down easily, not reacting to the cool of the bench that clearly hadn't been sat on for a while, not feeling or noticing the miniscule particles of dust transferring to his school trousers. As good as Trent's words, the moment the doors to the Warbler Hall were shut, there was no noise from inside, every sound was cut off. Hunter absentmindedly looked around him at the hall leading to the Warbler Hall. The painting that ran the length of the corridor was rather beautiful and had to be one of the English schools that Dalton was based on, known as Stoir or something like that…he had read all about it in the prospectus on his way here. The rolling green hills and the lake that sparkled as the light hit the water was breath-taking and only England could produce something as picturesque as that.

It didn't take long for the doors to re-open and the noise of the teenage singers came flowing out of the doors, hitting Hunter with surprise. Jeff came out and smiled down at Hunter who immediately felt the need to stand and so did. "Well Hunter, they've agreed to see you and hear you out, whatever you have to say and hear your song."

Hunter grinned; he knew he would sway them. "Great."

Jeff led him into the room and the 14 boys in blazers looked to him. He took a deep breath, he definitely wasn't nervous but he wasn't totally secure about how the group were going to react. He had to play his cards right so that he could keep the friends he had made as well as keeping the 'aim' he had come here for. Now it was time to lie. He could do this.

"Gentlemen, this is Hunter Clarington." Sebastian spoke from his right and Hunter turned to see a large oak table behind which a gavel set was resting at the front but the gavel itself was missing. This must be what they were talking about when referring to this Wes person. Sebastian was sat in the middle, his blazer done up like so many of the boys, with Jeff just sitting down to the right and Trent to the left. "He wishes to speak about something. He came from the Colorado Springs Military Academy who placed at Nationals last year." There were a few admiring whoops from the boys and Hunter smiled. "Hunter, over to you."

Hunter nodded deferentially. "Thank you Sebastian, Warbler Council." He turned to the boys who had his full attention. "I do not often find myself lost for words or unable to place a view or something I wish to say in the correct words, but now is one." He wet his lips, taking his time. "When I met Sebastian earlier today, I mentioned to him that the reason for my mid-term transfer to Dalton Academy was as a result of my old Glee club. You may not recognise the name of the school but you may recognise the name of our show choir: The Springboks."

"Go Bokke!" A recognisable South African accent called out from one of the sofas.

"Thank you, Ethan." Sebastian's voice was dangerously low and the boy immediately fell silent, cowering beneath the boy's steely gaze.

Hunter smirked. "Indeed actually Ethan, our choir was named after the South African Rugby team, the Lieutenant who named it 25 years ago was of South African descent and felt it was amusing to name us as such due to is being in the Springs…" There were a few smiles at this joke. "To the matter in hand. I do not wish for my arrival to cause any rifts between friendships and the group itself; however my arrival has a purpose. The Springboks placed 8th at Nationals last year and I heard you all perform 'What About Now' in the cafeteria and was surprised by how good you were, you deserve to be at Nationals. It has not occurred since 2003, where you placed 25th. I want to change that. Dalton offered me a full scholarship here to transfer so that I could take over the Warblers, and lead you back to Nationals and to the top spot where you belong."

Silence. The Council were looking at him as if he was crazy, Sebastian had furrowed his brow so deeply and the other boys were looking at him as if he had just declared war on the UK. "And the faculty haven't said anything to us because…" a boy spoke up from one the sofas, his eyes narrowed.

Hunter shrugged. "You tell me. Obviously I'm very willing to show you my talent and why I lead a group of boys to an 8th place at Nationals."

"Duel." The one word was finally uttered by Sebastian who had turned rather red at this sudden takeover. "Jesse," he addressed the sophomore who looked startled at being addressed, "can you go and find one of the senior faculty, we'll need to verify it." Jesse nodded and left without a word.

Hunter raised an eyebrow. "Duel? Verbal?"

Sebastian smirked. "You and me. The current Warbler captain versus the wannabe dictator."

This was going to be interesting, Hunter thought as Sebastian came around from the Warbler Council table, the boys immediately jumping to push the sofas back. Perhaps duels were not as uncommon as he had hoped. "What song do you want to do?" Hunter quizzed.

"That is left to the Council to decide." Sebastian half-spat, any scent of friendliness in his voice from earlier now disappeared in the blink of an eye. Hunter hoped that this would mend eventually; he had enjoyed the boy's company.

Jeff decided to intervene before it got too nasty. "I have just the song." He frowned at Sebastian slightly as the boys turned in interest as Jeff addressed Hunter. "How well do you know your Starkid songs?"

Grins broke out on everyone's faces, even on Hunter and Sebastian. They didn't see Ethan grabbing his iPhone out of his bag and setting it to video record as Hunter replied evenly, not keeping his eyes off Sebastian. "I've seen all the musicals several times over but I specialise in Holy Musical Batman and A Very Potter Sequel songs.

Jeff smirked. "Good. Because," he leaned over to Trent and whispered something in the boy's ear that caused him to vehemently nod his head in approval, "we want you to do To Be A Man."

The smiles faded a little and Hunter wondered if Jeff and Trent were out of their minds. Sebastian was on edge enough as it was and this song wasn't exactly friendly. If anything, sparks flying could turn to fire. Hunter was about to ask who was taking each person's part when Sebastian stepped up to him.

"You want to fight me? Well I can't say I won't enjoy this. Looks like we can finally see which one of us deserves those Twitter followers!"

_I am a man of justice  
I am a man of might._

Hunter subconsciously noted that Sebastian had taken Brian Holden's Superman part and he smile as he readied himself to play Joe Walker's Batman. While Sebastian may have stolen possibly one of the best lines away in the entire musical away from him, he actually had the better part. Because for anyone who knew and had seen the song, it was Batman who came out on top, just like he was going to now.

_I am a man of vengeance  
I am a man of the night  
You're such a sycophantic suck up.  
How can you call yourself a man? _

The boys sat down quickly as Sebastian and Hunter stepped up to each other. They were exactly the same height and the two boys could look each other directly in the eyes as they spoke their lines, Hunter glad that he had remembered to brush his teeth that morning and shove a mint in his mouth as they walked to Warbler Hall.

_You say you fight for truth and justice?  
I say you're working for the man, man.  
You line your mask with lead  
But I can see into your soul  
I see a scared little boy  
Behind the cape and the cowl. _

The lines came easily to him, HMB had to be his favourite Starkid musical to date and he could not wait until they finally released the video of A Very Potter 3D. But that wasn't the focus right now and Hunter slipped back into the mind frame of the song.

_Damn you!  
I'm gonna kick your ass  
Damn you!  
I'm taking you down  
Damn you!  
You want to be the man;  
You've got to beat the man.  
I'm gonna show you what it means to be a man, man._

As they launched into the chorus, it was almost reflexive that both boys refused to swear in the song, instead preferring a softer word that still had the same impact. Hunter knew his eyebrows were raised as this occurred and he could see Sebastian's up but they both furrowed them into a brow as they circled each other.

_I've learned a lot about life  
Since I got me a bro.  
You mean your tiny little sidekick?  
You guys are so adorable. _

The sarcasm dripped off Sebastian's tongue and it was easy for Hunter to retort with the lines, this just another spat between people who later became friends. Hopefully Hunter and Sebastian's relationship would be one as such.

_You're only jealous man,  
It's so obvious, so clear.  
Me with a sidekick, come on!  
I've got one for you right here.  
Damn you!  
I'm gonna kick your ass  
Damn you!  
I'm taking you down  
Damn you!  
You want to be the man,  
You've got to beat the man.  
I'm gonna show you what it means to be a man, man. _

At the pause in the music as the boys started to provide the backing vocals for the chorus of the song, the two boys stopped momentarily, unsure what to do. But, instead of allowing for the barred music that came in between the two verses, the rest of the Warblers rose and formed a circle around them, repeating the backing vocals as the two boys circled each other, not going near the other.

_All of your toys amuse me  
The boat, the Batmobile, the bike, the plane.  
But you can't grappling hook me  
Can't hit me with your boomerang, naw! _

Hunter rolled his shoulders slightly; this was where Batman came into his element. He had had a growing smirk on his face as the song progressed as he came to the part where his character took control and it was only now that the confidence that had radiated in Sebastian's eyes began to falter. He, as a fellow Starkid fan, knew exactly what happened next.

_You look cool in your tights  
For an alien dick  
I got some kryptonite tonight  
I'm onto your shtick.  
Damn you!  
Damn you!  
I'm gonna kick your ass  
Damn you!  
I'm taking you down  
Damn you!  
You want to be the man,  
You've got to beat the man.  
I'm gonna show you what it means to be a man, man._

As the harmony broke out, Hunter and Sebastian were nose to nose. The silence that fell over the room was deafening. Most of the boys were looking at the two seniors in the middle who hadn't moved a muscle since the end of the song and were still sending dagger eyes at each other. Jeff and Trent were now regretting choosing the song; they should have known it would have made the situation worse and not better.

Finally it was Sebastian who broke the unbearable silence. He cocked his head to the side slightly and let his usual smirk appear on his face. "Well, I have to say I'm impressed Hunter. It isn't often I find a worthy opponent to battle.

Had this been any other occasion, Hunter would have immediately jumped to the defence of the other boys who didn't seem to mind as much; perhaps they had heard it all before. But he would beg to differ with Sebastian's throwaway remark, he was sure that if they had to be as good as Sebastian to be a Warbler, they would all deserve solos at some point. But this was different and, for once, someone was actually complimenting him on his singing voice.

So he kept his eye contact with the boy and replied solidly. "Thank you, I must say I have to reciprocate the compliment."

Sebastian brought his head up to the same level to meet Hunter once more, his smirk growing a little. "Nick," he addressed the dark haired boy without looking at him, "looks like you might have competition for that solo at Sectionals."

Hunter raised an eyebrow as he spotted Nick look slightly crestfallen, clearly this boy had been undervalued by the group over the years and he would be once more. "Solo? I think I recall asking for total control over the club. Now I don't know what the usual protocol for electing a captain is here –"

"Protocol will not be necessary." A deeper and firmer voice came from behind Hunter and he didn't need to turn around to know that it belonged to the formidable Dalton headmaster, Dr. Taylor.

There was a sudden rush of silent noise as all the boys stood from where they had been sitting on the sofas, those who didn't have a perfect looking uniform quickly fixing it. Hunter turned, his blazer done up already and he nodded to the headmaster who acknowledged this as he moved into the room, followed by Jesse who moved silently to where he had been sitting next to his fellow sophomore Andrew.

"Dr. Taylor." Hunter could hear the slightly shake in Sebastian's voice as he spoke on behalf of the group, Jeff and Trent already out from behind the Council Table.

Hunter was finding it hard not to snap a salute as he was used to when a superior officer entered the room. Dr. Taylor stood in the middle of the room as Hunter moved to the window by the Council table, unsure of where to go as the headmaster took control. He surveyed each of the boys in turn, the younger ones slightly cowering under his gaze. Hunter was not surprised; he had heard many a thing about Dr. Taylor before entering the school and the respect he held from the older boys and the fear from the younger ones was a testament to his success at the school.

"I do not need to repeat Mr. Smythe's wish for a senior member of staff as I know you would have been present for the words to be spoken." Dr. Taylor was not one to mince his words and he cut straight to the reason he was here. "Mr.," he coughed slightly and turned to Hunter, "my apologies, Lieutenant Clarington is correct in what he says." There were a few exchanged glances, and not just at the fact that Hunter had been right and had not been lying. "While the current Council has been doing a very good job of keeping the Warblers at Regionals level, he is here to kick it up a notch." He carried on, failing to notice the small smiles creeping onto the faces of those who were Starkid fans. "My instructions are as thus. Lieutenant Clarington will take over the duties as captain of the Warblers with Mr. Smythe as his deputy. Mr. Sterling and Mr. Nixon will remain on the Council and the Warblers will have a four member Council." He went back to the door and then turned around to face them all. "If I hear of any complaints, it will come straight to me. I only want what is best for this club, you are at your best when you work together and although I do not entirely approve of the song choice," Jeff and Trent went slightly red, "your voices sounded more blended then they have since Mr. Anderson was your soloist. So I suggest that you work with Lieutenant Clarington and I expect to be proudly saying at assembly next semester that the Warblers will be going to Nationals this year." He nodded. "Good day gentlemen."

Every boy watched him go and then their eyes fixed on Hunter. They had a new leader, one which could not be questioned. Even Sebastian looked defeated. "I hope you know what you're doing, _Captain._" Sebastian couldn't help but keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

Hunter smirked; Sebastian had inadvertently quoted another of his all-time favourite fandoms. He had a few and he absolutely adored this one. So, in reply, he kept his cool and looked around the room. "So do I."

It was clear that no one had picked up on the reference, but it was an easy enough exchange to have without referencing it, Hunter was just loving the knowledge that he had just quoted it, there was something so satisfying about it. "Well Hunter, I guess we hand over to you." Jeff stated after a momentary pause.

Hunter frowned at the fact that they were all standing. "Guys, you know Dr. Taylor has gone, we don't all have to be standing now." There were a few hollow laughs and the boys settled. Hunter knew that he had to start somewhere and he would start with what he knew would be the boys' favourite topics, well the juniors and seniors at least. "I need some information." They looked at him curiously as he folded his arms and perched on the edge of the window seat as the Council took their places back at the table. "Tell me more about this Blaine Anderson person."

**What do you think? Hopefully we will get onto Hunter's past within the next couple of chapters, you might recognise parts of the next two chapters...or next chapter, I haven't quite worked it all out yet!**


	3. Operations

**Hello! Thank you to all who reviewed/alerted/favourited etc. you are all awesome! This chapter could have been longer but I decided to cut it short and I have to say I am quite proud of this chapter's quote from Hunter. It gives the idea of what will be coming up, yes I am using the story that they used on Glee. Personally I wish they had found a nicer way to have gone to Regionals...but yay for more Trent!**

**By the way, does anyone know which fandom I quoted in the last chapter? Brownie points if you get it because it is so obscure. Here's a hint: a film containing this line came out in 2009. The sequel is being released this year. Also, there is also another TV series turned film hint in this chapter, can you find it?**

**I have three calls for you guys, some shoutouts! Firstly, I have posted an original story, well the first chapter, on Wattpad! It's called A Helping Hand and I have the same penname - PenMagic. Do comment and let me know what you think if you want to! Also, if there are any Harry Potter fans in the house, do go and check out theblueanchor's The Potters and the Austfergan's Gateway. I beta the story and its a second in a series, they would love to know what you think! Finally, I promise, a shoutout for any Hunger Games fans, there is an awesome SYOT still open by TonyOctober 2.0 called Triple The Deaths: The 150th Hunger Games. They are in need of tributes and as you are all so awesome, I am sure you can come up with some creative characters!**

**There, now I've finished rambling and let you get on with the chapter, I hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think. I am off to write 3 essays which I've been told are all due this week...fun...**

'School is not always a song and dance, and neither are show choir competitions. If you want to win and be the best, you have to go that extra mile, whatever it might take to run it.' – Hunter Clarington

A week after Hunter's arrival and abrupt taking over of the Warblers, things had started to get back to normal. Sebastian was not one to hold grudges for a while but after that, he seemed to forget about it and one such matter was held in Hunter. The hostility and annoyance had held for a total of 2 days, 13 hours and 44 minutes, Nick and Jeff had timed it as they seemed to like doing as part of their quirky little habits. As Dr. Taylor had said, their voices actually did sound much better than they had ever done. There was a reason that Hunter had managed to place 8th at Nationals with his group, he was utterly ruthless.

"No, no, no, NO Jeff!" Hunter sighed for the fourth time that hour as the Warblers, in their rehearsal room behind the library, tried to learn the choreography for a new routine that would be performed the following day at a pep rally.

Jeff looked hopelessly at his boyfriend and Nick shrugged in reply. They had only been a couple for a few weeks and already boys were starting to send them friendly teasing loos. The thing was that Jeff had never really been the most talented dancer and it seemed to be showing more than ever right now. Hunter was the master of dance routines and this one was even more complicated than Sebastian's ideas had been last year that had been bad enough.

But Hunter was at his wits end. Being given so many assignments to apparently catch up, clearly his 4.0 GPA wasn't enough…and now he was trying to teach this bunch of mismatched definitely not dancers, the warm up routine. "This is ridiculous." He said a few minutes and several fails later. "This is clearly too much for you and we are how many weeks away from facing New Directions?"

He looked around the group with his arms stretched, expecting an answer. "Two weeks and four days." Came a mumble from somewhere.

Hunter nodded before starting. "Exactly – wait that's it?" He asked incredulously, boy time was going fast. "Right, thank you Cameron. My point is further proven; we have 25 days until we face Sectionals and the only club that you are yet to beat. We have to get to Regionals."

"But how are we going to do it?" Came a moan from the side of the room. "We can't do the routine and while the song is great, the only part of the routine that we can actually do is your backflip and that doesn't even involve all of us!"

Hunter smirked; the backflip was his signature move. The faculty had installed another fine oak chair at the Council Table, Wes would have been outraged but he wasn't there anymore. "You guys just need some motivation." Hunter explained as he made his way and sat down in his seat. As he did so, he caught sight of a glass case that contained only one trophy, from Sectionals last year and a brilliant thought popped into his head. "We need a trophy."

The boys looked at Hunter as if he was crazy. "But we need to win a competition to get a trophy." Sebastian spoke slowly, as if to a child. "We can't just magically conjure one up unless you're Professor of Charms at Hogwarts as well as Lieutenant Clarington."

Sebastian had meant the remark to be snarky but he should have learnt by then that Hunter was equally quick and skilled with his comebacks. "Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfigurations clearly states that you cannot create things out of nothing. Ergo I cannot create a trophy for us to sit and admire at out of nothing, whether I am Professor of Charms or not." He stood up and leaned forward, his hands placed equidistant resting on the table. "Now we know some people who do have a trophy, a very large trophy that in their possession. A trophy that should be ours."

"New Directions." The obvious reply was whispered by Trent who was staring at Hunter with an intense curiosity. "So what are you proposing?"

Hunter's smirk grew. "We bring it back to its rightful owners and then make sure they know it's us."

"That's totally counter-intuitive though!" Jeff had got over his dismal dancing mayhem earlier and was now trying to understand what crazy idea Hunter was trying to convey. "They could sue us for breaking and entering. What would be the point then?"

Hunter acknowledged this point. "We leave them a message. We leave them a videoed message with the trophy. And think gentlemen, we are Dalton boys, but so is one of their members." A couple of boys were starting to see where this was going. "And if a Dalton boy is seen with a McKinley trophy, someone they haven't seen before, they are going to send someone to come and get it back aren't they?" The boys were all sitting down on the sofas now and Hunter sat back down, still leaning forward, and rested his elbows on the table, splaying his hands out in front of him. "Now gentlemen, of the 12 or so members of the New Directions, which one are they most likely to send?"

He waited as the realization dawned on all those who hadn't figured it out yet. "Blaine." Someone whispered.

Hunter nodded. "Exactly. So we get our legend back, shake the opposition and boost our confidence for Sectionals, therefore killing three birds with one stone." Hunter smiled. "Gentlemen, Operation Repatriation is a go."

* * *

As he watched Hunter lead the meeting as to how exactly they would break into McKinley at night and film this video before making it back in time for breakfast, the two schools were at least a good hour and a half away from each other, Nick watched Hunter with an intense curiosity. He was a strange boy, totally focused when planning and had good ideas that actually worked for once but there was something that wasn't quite right. He had barely anything of his own in his room; Nick had visited just yesterday to borrow a book for History, no memories of the Academy, nothing. It just didn't add up. There was some information that Hunter wasn't willing to be parted with just yet. Of course Nick wasn't going to force to him to part with this information just yet but if it jeopardized the chances of them winning, it was imperative that they knew, there was always a chance that something could go wrong. And this was Dalton Academy, something always did go wrong.

"Nick?" The voice of his boyfriend snapped Nick out of his stupor and he turned to his boyfriend who was sitting at the Council Table.

He smiled, trying to make up for the fact that he had definitely not been listening in on the conversation. "Sorry Jeff, Council. Could you repeat the question?"

There were a few chuckles. "We were asking if you could help in the raid." Hunter repeated. He had softened slightly since his abrupt first arrival but there was a definite firm air in his voice.

Nick shrugged. "Sure." He pursed his lips. "Council, may I ask a question?" Hunter nodded. "While this is a great idea and the thought of having Blaine back and bursting into random song every other day fills me with great pleasure, surely we should be concentrating back on the pep rally tomorrow that we were looking at?" Clearly people had managed to easily forget this 'small' event and there were a few wide eyes, even on the Council Table. "I can see that we were struggling with the current song selection. May I be so bold as to make song prepositions?"

Hunter was mentally kicking himself for completely forgetting the rally in the midst of all this excitement. That was why the group had initially met in the first place. "Of course Nick, anyone is welcome to. However, as this is my first Warbler and indeed Dalton pep rally, I need to clarify a few things with you all. The Warblers are expected to showcase how many songs?"

"Two." Came Trent's steady reply. "And we are expected to showcase different leads each time per year."

Hunter nodded. "Okay, so how many have you done this year?"

Trent checked the notes, as the official Warbler secretary it was his job to know this kind of stuff. "Two as well. So far we've had Sebastian, Jeff, Nick and Ethan take major leads."

Hunter tapped his pen that was always in his blazer pocket, on his lips. "So that still leaves us with 12 boys including myself who haven't taken leads."

"We can have more than one soloist in the songs." The voice came from the left side of the room.

Hunter raised his eyebrows. "Yes, very much so. What songs were you proposing Nick and who would take the leads.

Nick stood, smoothing down his blazer. This was his time to prove that he had ideas, and good ones at that. "I would suggest that we have two soloists per song, one senior or junior and one sophomore to showcase the younger talent. We know that we have a great crowd pleaser in our repertoire of Teenage Dream that I would suggest we reuse." There were some definite cheers of approval from the assembled boys. "Of course it is up to the Council to decide on the soloists but I can make recommendations. My other suggestion," he took a deep breath, it was a risky song choice but it could work," is something that we can use to help our co-ordination and dancing. I would propose we sung Greased Lightning."

Why hadn't Hunter thought of that before? "Nick, you are a genius. Any boys wishing to be considered for a solo should raise their hands now." All of the boys who hadn't performed this year raised their hands and Hunter smiled. "Right, change of question. Who has been in the Warblers the longest, since freshman or sophomore year? I'm looking to the seniors at this."

It was Trent and Nick who raised their hands. "We, with Blaine, were invited to join in our freshman year." Trent reasoned.

Hunter nodded once more. "Brilliant, I want you two to discuss who would be best suited for the solos and get back to me." He nodded once curtly. "I'm going to go and print off the sheet music for our songs and we'll meet back here in half an hour. Meeting dismissed."

As he nodded again, no gavel to sound the end, the boys stood and started to talk. Hunter observed some of the boys as they conversed momentarily before he left. What was easier about the group was that they all talked to each other regardless of age or any differences. Seniors were sharing jokes with the sophomores and vice versa. It was an atmosphere he had not experienced before and he missed it almost as soon as he stepped out of Warbler Hall.

Nick was not the only person who was worried about Hunter. As head boy, it was Jeff's job to ensure that all new students were made to feel welcome and at home at Dalton. Sure the first week or so of the year had been a nightmare with the new 50 or so freshmen but Hunter had been in a different league altogether. It was peculiar for a boy to transfer to Dalton in his junior year, but Sebastian had been reasonably easy to help and David had done a good job last year with him, inviting him to the Warblers. But Hunter was in another league altogether. A transfer a good 7 weeks into a senior year was completely unheard of and so it was imperative that the boys had been even more encouraging. Jeff had visited Hunter every day for the past week, making sure that he was settling in alright and making friends. In fact, after the whole taking over of the Warblers debacle, Hunter had been more confident with making friends in the seniors he had been introduced to both on his first day and the subsequent ones.

But Jeff was worried. Hunter was almost too focused and perhaps nearly desperate to get the trophy and Blaine back in the Warblers. Did the two boys have history? Was it really about motivation or did Hunter have something else in mind? It unnerved him and as he sat with Sebastian, something that didn't happen often as there had been a degree of friction between them after the Jackson off but they were on better terms now. This had been increased since they had been named head boy and deputy and were on the Council together.

"I'm worried about Hunter." Jeff muttered to Sebastian, low enough for no one else around them to be able to catch the conversation but loud enough so that he could hear.

Sebastian nodded. "We seem to be thinking along the same lines then."

Jeff was surprised; Sebastian had always seemed to be more blunt than observational. "What's the bee in your bonnet with him then?" He asked.

Sebastian bit his lip momentarily before answering. "He just seems off. As if he has an ulterior motive for doing what he is doing." Jeff nodded, both following and agreeing. "I know you don't see me as s an observer and I'm not normally, but when he gave up, he paused very slightly, just for a moment as if he had had an idea that wasn't the trophy idea to get us winning Sectionals. And I'm a BAMF; I should know an evil scheming glint in someone's eye when I see one. What?" He asked, a smile tugging at the side of his lips as he watched Jeff doubled over, laughing.

Jeff managed to control his breathing enough to speak as well as not to have another asthma attack. "You said BAMF, I have never heard a Dalton boy use that phrase."

Sebastian grimaced in horror. "I must have picked it up at that awful public school." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Anyway, we had a version of it over in France."

Jeff had a wicked smirk on his face. "Wait, there is actually that phrase in France? I'm disappointed in them; they must have only regained their dignity when you arrived." Sebastian smiled a nice change from his signature smirk. "Or left."

Jeff had pushed at that one to get a reaction. Junior year Sebastian would have come out with a witty and snarky comeback but instead, his jaw dropped before he punched Jeff lightly in the arm, his smirk definitely back now.

"Thanks Jeff," he spoke slowly and sarcastically, "really sweet of you."

Jeff shrugged, a slight smirk that was not commonly seen on him, tugging at the corners of his mouth. "My pleasure Bastian, anything for a friend."

They hadn't bothered to leave Warbler Hall and had sat down on one of the sofas now. Sure the Council Table chairs gave them a position of authority and power but they were as much normal Dalton Warblers as the next boy in the room. "You know, we could just check up on his background." Sebastian suddenly spoke after a pregnant pause. "I can, my father will have access to all his files."

Jeff shook his head. "It might just be the pressure of the transfer and extra work, Nick tells me he's been getting extra work for all the classes they share and I've been noticing the same thing. I think we should leave it; we don't want to resort to greater evils than talking to him about his past and stuff. We mustn't, it didn't get us very far last time."

Sebastian nodded, Jeff had a point. He had flipped out when they had tried to look up Sebastian's past. That had not gone down well and the whole thing had meant that they had barely scraped a win at Sectionals that year; it really had been a miracle. Then again, it hadn't been as if the other two competitors had actually been any good.

"Right, so what do we do?" Sebastian asked, his eyes fixed on the Council Table.

Jeff pondered this for a moment before answering. "We wait." He nodded; yes that was the right decision. "We wait and we watch. If Hunter's abnormal behavior keeps up after his grades have evened, then we can contact your father. I might have a couple of contacts myself. Scott and Alan both graduated from there."

Sebastian felt as if his head on a hinge with all this nodding but he did it once more as he recognised the names of Jeff's two older brothers who he had met once when they had come to Dalton to give a lecture on the army and the careers there.

"So," he spoke carefully, "we are in a way, launching our own little mission."

"Hunter is being watched." Jeff smiled. "Operation Hunter must commence."

Sebastian groaned before putting his head in his hands, his elbows digging into his thighs. "You really have been spending too much time with Hunter, you'll be calling yourself Private Sterling soon enough."

Jeff grinned and nudged Sebastian playfully. "Watch, it'll be Second-Lieutenant soon enough."

There was no reply, Sebastian merely groaned. He may fancy the heck out of Jeff but he wasn't going to get in the way of his and Nick's relationship. It was lust and not love, he had to focus his energy on somewhere else. And that was all going into the Warblers; they were going to beat those public school prats.

**Not sure where the last bit came from but hey! Let me know what you think! Thank you for taking the time to read it!**


	4. Reunion Of A Different Sort

**HELLO! Here is chapter 4! Thank you so much for all the alerts/favourites and reviews, it makes my day every time I get one of those e-mails telling me about them! This chapter is completely random but I hope you like it! What do you think is in the two boxes? Do let me know!**

**Chapter 4**

'Memories coming back to haunt you are the worst. They worm into your consciousness and make you more scared than you have ever felt before. It is worse when they become a reality.' – Hunter Clarington

The pep rally had been a storming success, Hunter proving to the school why he was good enough to take over the Warblers without a hitch. He had a fine voice and was good with his organisation of the group of boys. There had been a growth in the respect from the Warbler group towards their new captain and in return, Hunter had softened and had grown les military like in his own approach. He had willingly let Trent and Jesse take the leads for Teenage Dream which, as Nick had predicted, had been a great opener and a hit. Many had joined in the singing and with an added extra bonus of Hunter's dance background, the less said about Jeff the better, there had been something that made the number much less of a Blaine number but of a Warbler number, perhaps it had been the duo lead or indeed less of an overall lead, the concentration far more on harmonies and synchronicity than showcasing one voice.

But it had been Nick's genius suggestion of Greased Lightning that had really taken the boys by storm, with Hunter's Danny proving that he really was a Dalton boy. Never had he had such a chance to let his hair down before and belt out such a classic with stage blocks to stand in for the car, arranged so that the rest of the Warblers, also clad in T-birds leather jackets like Hunter, could move around realistically. With Luke Wright by his side as Kinicke, it counted as a duet. Hunter later agreed that it admittedly been worth the fifteen minutes he had had to spend in a chair, letting Sebastian gel his hair as much as it would let, it wasn't as if his hair was long enough for a full Draco Malfoy slicking that Danny really sported plus the quiff. No, Hunter was quite happy with his short hair thank you very much.

But that was over and done with and so they had launched into Operation…ugh, they had changed the name so many times that Hunter had to look at Trent's minutes to know what it was at the moment. To Hunter, it was Operation Success. And if it didn't go well, then he would have to revert to plan B.

There was also something that worried Hunter slightly. He kept seeing someone at school, he wasn't sure if it was a teacher or a student or someone else not from Dalton, just out of the corner of his eye. But he knew he or she was definitely there and was definitely watching him. And every time he spotted them, they seemed to be getting closer to Hunter.

"Nick?" Hunter spoke to the boy as he caught up with him and Jeff as they made their way from to History, his books tucked under his arm rather than in a satchel as most boys had at Dalton.

The dark-haired Warbler turned to Hunter with the smile that he gave every boy who he saw and greeted. "Heya Hunter, how was AP Chem earlier?"

Hunter grimaced. The military academic standards were grueling and so Hunter had automatically been put into AP classes for all his subjects except for history where, at Colorado, he had only learned the history of the army which really wasn't enough to cover the length of time that Hunter had been at the academy but at least he now had all the dates drummed into his brain.

"Boring, I swear if any of these teachers are gonna bore me to death literally, it'll be Professor Logan."

The boys laughed as Hunter rolled his eyes. He had become less stiff since joining Dalton, sure the memories still haunted him every night so that he only got a couple of hours sleep, but it didn't seem to show. Perhaps he was so used to hiding his emotions that it was almost sub-conscious when he did it. He felt so much more of a Dalton boy, which was so much more than he had ever felt at Colorado. At the military academy, he had just been another recruit, another soldier, another number in the ranks, nothing more.

Jeff noted his slightly clouded expression. "You okay, Hunter? Seems like something's on your mind."

Hunter shook himself, how could he have let his guard down like that? But he trusted Niff as the two boys were rather affectionately known. And so rather than covering up his slip, he bit his lip and frowned. "Call me paranoid or weird but over the last few days, I've been getting the sense that someone has been following me."

If this had been any other high school, or school for that matter, the two boys would have laughed and called him the names that Hunter had suggested. But instead, Nick frowned. "What do you mean? Do we need to alert the faculty or something?"

Hunter shook his head. "No I don't think that it's dangerous, I just feel uncomfortable. I keep seeing this guy or girl, I don't know, just out of the corner of my eye –"

"Just like the door thing in Doctor Who!" Jeff exclaimed a little too loudly and people's heads turned as Hunter chuckled.

"The show similarity had crossed my mind. But then this figure disappears. I'm pretty sure it's a guy but you can never be sure and I don't even know whether it's a student or a teacher. I keep seeing things like a mop of bleached hair or a shoe and then it's gone."

Both boys frowned as they entered the classroom and settled into their seats that were right next to each other, whatever the teacher tried to do. It wasn't that they were bad boys, misbehaving or anything, it was just that if there was whispering or note passing or anything that was vaguely suspicious occurring, the teacher's eyes always managed to fall on 3 particularly innocent looking boys. Hunter had mastered the innocent look at military academy and was now in the process of trying to work out how to make it more subtle. And clearly so far it was failing.

Hunter had a sneaky suspicion that something would happen after class. He had learned to trust his instinct and they were telling him that an event was going to happen today that he needed to be prepared for. And his instincts were rarely wrong.

His instincts once again had not failed him as when he left the history class; there was a loud shout from down the corridor. "LIEUTENANT CLARINGTON!"

The shout came from down the corridor and, mid-stride, Hunter froze. Ever since the headmaster had interceded in making him captain of the Warblers, the only times he had been called by his military title was in the odd joke which had come through in the first week from his friends. The corridor was filled with people and they all froze as Hunter did, eyes flickering around the corridor, most boys unaware of Hunter's past.

Hunter hadn't moved from where he was and he wasn't facing the person who he could tell was walking down the corridor towards him. "What do we do?" Nick whispered in the silent hall.

Hunter shook his head. "Nothing."

"Drop down and give me twenty Clarington!" The voice had now the total command of the corridor and everyone watched in horror as Hunter obeyed, right there in the corridor in his uniform.

Hunter had done twenty press ups in more than a uniform but he hadn't done them in a while but he didn't dare take off his blazer, and went down ready to pump the muscles that hadn't been used in a while. As he completed all of them, feeling the anger rolling off Nick who was above him, he guessed that the person had to be a teacher or else they would have stood up for him. The teachers had supreme rule over all and no one dared to question them unless it was over a very serious matter.

Once done, Hunter stood, still not turning around. The silence was filled once again as he heard the clacking of shoes, polished and very new; on the wooden floor before a low small cough cut the silence. "Didn't they teach you to salute a superior officer Clarington? Didn't they teach you that in the military academy? Turn and face your superior officer Clarington!"

Immediately, Hunter turned on his heels, clacking them together and snapping a perfect salute. "Sir!" Then he noticed the man in front of him. He had slicked back light brown hair with blonde highlights and sparkling green eyes. "Major Ross."

The man snapped a salute. "Lieutenant Clarington." And then he grinned. "At ease Hunter."

Hunter relaxed and the two men hugged. "Heya Bertie!"

The man shook his head as they released. "Hate to break it to you buddy, but its Major Ross now."

Hunter frowned and then smiled slightly. "Wait, are you teaching here now?"

Nick approached the duo cautiously, everyone had got bored and moved on but the mutterings that surrounded them were all about the incident. "Do we still need to alert the faculty Hunter?"

Hunter smiled and shook his head. "No, he is the faculty." He waved Jeff over who was eyeing the man suspiciously. "Nick, Jeff, this is Major Bertie Ross. He was six years above me at the academy and was the one who introduced me to the show choir. Major Ross, this is Nick Duval and Jeff Sterling, two fellow seniors of mine. Jeff is head boy here."

Major Ross shook hands with the boys who were still a little wary of him. "Good to meet you gentlemen." He checked his watch and raised his eyebrows. "Well I must be going; I've got to go and prep my first lesson." He snapped a smart salute and looked at Hunter. "Lieutenant Clarington." He turned his head towards Nick and Jeff and nodded slightly. "Gentlemen."

Hunter snapped a salute straight back at him while Nick and Jeff tried to copy him but it was obvious their hearts weren't nearly as into it as their friend. "Major Ross."

Major Ross released the salute and then turned and walked back down the corridor. Hunter turned to see Nick and Jeff looking at him with their mouths open. "What?" He grinned and started to walk off towards the cafeteria.

The two boys stared at each other and ran to catch up with the smiling senior. "You just walk away from that?" Nick asked incredulously.

Jeff nodded his head in assent. "Yeah, that dude like totally made you freak out and do those pushups in your uniform in front of so many guys. He was on the verge of humiliating you."

Hunter smiled and shook his head. "We used to have such goofs. He was my mentor my first year at the academy, got me into the Springboks and was my best friend until he left." He grinned. "We used to play pranks like that the whole time on each other. We'd pretend that we were much older and superior than the other." He ducked his head and chuckled as the boys continued to listen and make their way towards the food. "The academy trained us far too hard in discipline and the saluting was almost reflexive, hence as you've just seen. He got me quite a few times but I always managed to catch him right back."

Jeff nudged him playfully. "Of course you did."

Suddenly, Hunter's phone beeped and he dug it out of his blazer, checking it momentarily. "Gentlemen, Operation Repatriation is a go."

Nick and Jeff smiled; the possibility of having their old friend back was one that pleased them a lot. They hadn't done an impromptu performance for ages, they missed the randomness of the event and yet the still near perfect that they achieved every time.

"Hunter?" A timid and questioning voice made the three boys turn to see a small boy, well perhaps he was a freshman but Hunter could never remember being that small, looking up at them.

He frowned, checking his watch. Lunch was being served right now and seniors always look priority. "Who's asking?" He questioned, his brow furrowed.

The boy smiled. "I've been sent to give you these parcels from the office."

Hunter smiled as he saw the first and smaller box being presented by the boy. Here was his plan B, in fact he was going to implement them in tomorrow's Warbler meeting so it wasn't exactly plan B, more a supplement to plan A. he knew exactly what was inside the box and he knew his superiors would disapprove but someone at the Academy had found the heart to send them on.

But the larger box made his heart stop. It was rather big, perhaps just wider than his chest span both in width and height, with holes in the top. It was wood and he could clearly hear yelping and scratching coming from inside of it.

"What's in there Hunter?" Nick asked curiously. The two packages didn't seem to be that dangerous or suspicious, though wary of the larger one most definitely.

But the boy didn't reply. He had paled to a deathly white pallor, his expression a mixture of horror, shock and joy, if that was possible. Instead he gathered up the two boys and ran down the corridor, pushing past the freshman and in the direction of the sleeping wing of the school. Nodding their thanks to the delivery boy, Nick and Jeff sprinted down the corridor towards the retreating form of their captain. It was Sebastian who joined them as the trio raced past him on his way to lunch. The slam of the door to Hunter's room and the way that his shoulders had been shaking slightly while treating the box with extreme caution as he ran, should have been warning enough to the three boys to stay away. But they were also stubborn and as Sebastian gently opened the door to Hunter's room; all three were surprised by what they saw. They had not been expecting that.

**What do you think it is? Sorry that there wasn't very much Sebastian in this chapter. Extra brownie points if you know the play from which the name Major Ross (I changed the first name) comes from! I had to sudy it this year. Hint, it is set in Australia!**


	5. The Final Straw

**HOLLA! And would you believe it, another chapter just in time for this week's Glee episode?! I am sorry that it has taken me a full month to update but my parents expect me to do so much revision now as I have exams coming up (6 hours a day and they are in TWO MONTHS!) It is a little OTT...**

**So I hope you like this chapter. I have to admit it is a little weird and shoutout to Carbon65 who came up with Sebastian's alternative name for what is inside the larger box! I know that they got it right, but did you? The name will be used a little more frequently than just a cameo! And I hope, next chapter providing that it works, to introduce a game into the story that I played a camp I've just got back from which caused total and utter chaos in the best sense possible!**

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'There is no time like the present. When faced with a situation that you weren't exactly expecting, you have to take it on the chin and deal with it the best you can. Otherwise what is the point in having any surprises at all?' – Hunter Clarington

The room was barely furnished, there was very little decoration or personality in Hunter's room. The boy himself was sitting cross-legged on his bed and stroking something that none of them would have thought to have associated Hunter with. It looked more like a pure white ball of fluff that was hissing. But no, it was definitely a cat. Its eyes seemed to narrow, if that was possible for a cat to do, and it buried itself further into Hunter's lap. The boy didn't even look up but pulled his arms around the cat protectively as a child would over a new toy.

"Get out! Mr. Puss has just gone through a very traumatic experience." The new arrivals to the room felt as if a child was speaking to them, the way that Hunter used his language about 'Mr. Puss'. "I don't care who you are," his voice was thick and the boys had never really seen him so vulnerable, "just leave me alone!"

The boys could have argued that this moment was a starting point for the start of seeing another side to Hunter, to finding out the truth. They had never seen the boy with any animal, unless humans counted as animals but that could be disputed most definitely. "Hunter…" Nick began his voice slightly hopeless.

The boy turned to face the trio, his face red with angry tear stains on his cheeks. As soon as he recognised the blurry outlines, lines faded with the watery tears that were in the way of his vision, he blinked. There seemed to be a moment where it looked more like he didn't recognise them and he frowned. "What are you doing here?" He snapped, his cold demeanor clouding reality once more, just as he used to do.

Nick frowned, not quite understanding his new friend's attitude. "Are you going to introduce us to Mr. Puss?" He couldn't help but let a smile slip onto his face as he spoke, he adored pets and especially cats.

Perhaps it was him, or perhaps the cat really was that intelligent, but the white ball of fluff seemed to somehow sense Nick's positive vibe and proceeded to rub Hunter's shoulder, purring, as if to let him know that everything was alright. The lieutenant frowned slightly, as if trying to assess the situation and what needed to happen now. "You know what," Sebastian mused out loud in the pregnant pause that followed, "he looks more like a Schrodinger than a Mr. Puss."

The hurt in Hunter's eyes burnt like a furnace and Sebastian took a step back. Hunter's arms folded around his ball of fluff protectively as he became more wary of the group. "How dare you?" He hissed his voice a pitch not dissimilar to that of the cat that was in his arms.

The boys weren't sure how to react to this new side of their captain, very rarely did they have to deal with boys who had issues as such. "Let's just go." Jeff muttered to Nick and Sebastian. He spoke slightly louder for their friend's benefit. "We'll see you later at rehearsal, Hunter."

This seemed to wake the boy from his slightly crazed dream and he nodded, his eyes slightly widened from an evident excitement that hadn't been there a moment ago. "Yes, the Warbler meeting." He paused. "It must go without saying that every Warbler needs to be in attendance. This meeting is especially important for you all to be there. We are talking about Sectionals and there is something very important that needs to be discussed."

The boys nodded, not noticing the glint in Hunter's eye that would have told them that there were no plans for discussion. "Alright." Jeff assented. "You look after Schro – dammit Sebastian!" He joked playfully with the senior who it seemed had rechristened the cat. He took a deep breath and started his sentence again. "You look after Mr. Puss and we'll see you at Warbler practice."

Hunter nodded and the three boys left the room, Nick glancing back at him before closing the door. Hunter stared at the door for a little while, his eyes unmoving from where the boys had just been. He had to implement it now, while they still had some respect for him.

.

As Hunter had requested, every single Warbler was in attendance when he entered the room, the chatter subsiding almost instantly. He smiled and placed the small box down on the Warbler Council table, elevating it slightly by putting it on the gavel rest. There were a couple of raised eyebrows; anything in the place of reverence automatically had every boy's attention. Even those who hadn't been in the school or a part of the Warblers when Wes had been the most senior Warbler Council member knew the importance. Perhaps Wes' legacy would live on longer than the Warbler had even dared to hope. Now it was Hunter's turn to carry on the Warbler tradition of winning, it was his time to shine. He placed the box on the desk. He could feel all the eyes of the boys on him, fearful and watching with an intensity that made him feel a little uncomfortable. He didn't say a word as he settled down behind the Council Table, a small frown on his face. The piece of paper in front of him held the names of all the Warblers. He needed to know that all the boys would be here, lack of attendance meant being booted off the Warblers. The boys had learnt this the hard way. Taking a pen out of his blazer, he did not look up as he began the roll call.

"Beatz."

"Here."

"Nick."

"Here."

"Thad."

"Here."

"Nicholas."

"Here."

"James Kirk."

"Here."

"Cameron."

"Here."

"Richard."

"Here."

"Jesse."

"Here."

"Ethan."

"Here."

"Trent."

"Here."

"Sebastian."

"Here."

"Jeff."

"Here."

"Andrew."

"Here."

"Flint."

"Here."

"Luke."

"Here."

Finished and with every member here, Hunter looked up. His fellow Council members had taken seats on the sofas. In the silence, Hunter surveyed the boys. And then, without a warning, he spoke gently. Something that didn't occur often, his voice was firm but there was less aggression than they were used to. "Gentlemen. I am going to state facts, facts that we all know to be true. And then I am going to give you a solution to the problem that the Warblers have been trying to solve since the seniors in this room, were freshmen." He took a deep breath as the boys looked at each other in interest; this had to be a very curious statement. "Most of the members of this group are completely un-co-ordinated." Hunter's voice was now monotone and there were a few chuckles, the loudest of which came from Jeff who was the self-styled worst dancer of the group. "We need to win Sectionals." Again this was met with great vocal agreement, but only a small hum as they knew anything louder would anger their leader. "The New Directions are the only group ever to have got the better of the Warblers in the last four years." He leaned forward at this, cupping his chin into his hands and resting his elbows on the table. "Therefore we have to win Sectionals. And I have the perfect solution.

Suddenly he stood up and moved around to the front of the table, leaning back and putting his hands out for support as he rested them on the table. The boys exchanged surprised glances; no one had thought that any solution other than trying their hardest would exist. Sebastian was less sure. There was something about Hunter's very sudden change in demeanour and character when the boys had mentioned the meeting that unnerved him, and it took a lot to do that. "What about Operation Repatriation?" He quizzed the captain, seeing if that would catch him out.

Hunter chuckled. "Good try Sebastian, but I have news on that as well." He looked at all the bothers boys, trying to gage their reactions. "We're bringing forward the mission." There were a few raised eyebrows. "We've got all the info we need. We're doing it tonight." This produced quite some reaction. A few cries of indignation at the late notice from those who were taking part and surprise from the rest of group. "I have the laptop and ready to go. Nick, Cameron, Ethan, I expect to see you in the main foyer at 10pm sharp. There's a car just outside the gates that will be waiting for us. All in back."

Nick sighed, he had forgotten that, by tuning out of the conversation a couple of days ago, he was directly involved in the break in to McKinley to steal their Nationals trophy. He didn't feel that it was right but now that he was in it, he couldn't get out. "Sure thing." He tried hard not to let the sigh escape from his lips but it was hard and Jeff took his hand lightly, lacing their fingers together so that he felt safe. Around Jeff, nothing else mattered and the whole world stopped when they were in the zone together.

Hunter nodded his approval. "Now I am sure you are curious to know what genius plan I have devised for making the Warbler win. It is a method that we used infrequently in the Springboks as we rarely need it, but it enhanced our competition standards."

Sebastian rolled his eyes, Hunter was becoming very dramatic. He wanted to just get this over and done with. For some reason, the Warblers had become less important. His application to Harvard was due very soon and he needed to concentrate. He leant back, not caring that Hunter was now bringing forward the box that he had brought into the room. However he was one of very few. Nick leaned forward. He had grown to enjoy the captain's company and was sure that whatever Hunter was going to come up with would be the best solution. However he frowned, copying the image on many of his friend's faces when Hunter brought out a syringe and a clear liquid in a bottle.

That had got Sebastian's attention. His father was an attorney; he knew all the rules regarding these sorts of things. His eyes widened like plates and he leaned forward. "You wouldn't dare."

Cameron, who was sitting next to Sebastian, shuffled away slightly at the danger in the senior's voice. Hunter raised an eyebrow, trying to mask the surprise on his face. Nick's frown deepened, whatever it was couldn't be good if Sebastian was worried. "What is it?"

Sebastian didn't answer first, keeping his eyes fixed on the bottle in Hunter's right hand. "That's a SARMs isn't it?" He asked, his eyes critical.

Most of the boys were still confused. "What the heck is SARMs?" Jeff insisted.

Sebastian didn't keep his eyes off Hunter who was looking very smug. "Which type?"

Hunter shrugged. "Enobosarm."

Sebastian heaved a sigh, one that didn't tell anyone that it was safe to talk to him. It was one that told all that Sebastian was on the verge of becoming extremely dangerous and angry. And no one wanted to be near the boy who was on the receiving end of that. "Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators." He answered Jeff's question but the boy still looked confused. He stood up and walked towards Hunter. "You can't do this."

Hunter's smile was almost sadistic. "I'm the captain now Sebastian, you are not. I can do whatever the heck I like." Inside, Hunter was glad that it was getting some reaction from the boys. It would be boring if everyone had known what it was. But this position of control was starting to scare him if he was faced with Sebastian. He knew what Sebastian's temper was like and he didn't want to be on the receiving end of it.

Sebastian shook his head, trying not to explode. "This group has maintained a perfect record, other than being defeated in competitions. I refuse to let you ruin that Hunter."

"I still don't understand." The confused voice belonged to one of the sophomores and Sebastian swung around to face the rest of the group.

His eyes raked the room to find the speaker. His eyes fell upon the only vaguely red-headed boy in the room, his posture cowering back from the gaze. But instead of snarling or making a snarky comment that the unfortunate sophomore, Andrew by name, would normally associate with Sebastian, the senior clasped his hands behind his back and turned back to their captain. "Why don't you tell them Hunter?" His voice was sickly sweet and even Hunter knew better than to try and mess right now. Sebastian smirked but it faded as he turned to the rest of the group. "Coward. Enobosarm is a form of a SARMs, a performance enhancing drug." He looked back momentarily at Hunter. "He is suggesting we cheat our way to a win."

That was what managed to gage a reaction out of the boys. Hunter's façade remained cool and collected, his indifference slightly disturbing Sebastian. How could someone be so cool about the idea of illegally winning against a group that had weaker vocals than themselves? Mutters broke out amongst the boys, those especially who had Warbled under Wes' rule were horrified. The younger boys looked slightly nervous about this idea. "How do we know that you aren't leading us to the complete ruin?"

Hunter let his eyes fall on the caller. "Because I have done this before and I have never been caught out. If we start today, we will be in perfect shape by Sectionals and even Mr. Sterling will be able to catch up with our moves." Even perhaps the smirk in his voice was evident but Jeff wasn't amused.

Sebastian shook his head slowly. "I refuse to let you ruin our group."

Hunter's smirk reached its height. "What are you going to do Smythe?"

Sebastian surveyed the room. The atmosphere was one of curiosity of another standoff between the two powerful hungry boys and nerves at what might happen as well as apprehension about the new idea. "Or I'll quit." He spoke softly and a small gasp emitted from one of the boys.

"But Sebastian," Trent spoke after a shaky pause, "no Warbler has ever quit."

Sebastian merely shrugged. "Well then I'll be the first. In what I hope will be a long line of those willing to stand against this monstrosity." He smirked at Hunter who, indeed, did look a little taken aback at the drastic action threatened. "You know you can't win Sectionals without me Hunter. So you better get used to it. Because if I don't have a reasonable reason within 48 hours as to how well this is going to work and how we can get away with it, you're going to have to deal without another lead."

Hunter merely shrugged in return. "Go then, see if I care. Nick is easily as good as you Sebastian, Live While We're Young won't be a problem for him."

Sebastian looked momentarily affronted at the ease with which Hunter was dismissing him. Did he really care that little about his group? "I'll stay as long as Operation Repatriation happens. If it's successful and I can see why you are jeopardising our records for the sake of your sadistic methods of winning, I might consider staying. But if you put another toe out of line, don't expect to see me around for much longer."

And with that, to the shock and horror of his fellow Warblers, Sebastian turned and walked to the doorway of the Warbler Hall. Pausing on the steps, he turned to look at the rest of the group. "If any of you were real men, you would join me. Don't ruin the senior year for many of us, do what is right."

Then he was gone. Hunter had not quite expected such a violent reaction from who he thought had been a friend. From Sebastian's records, Hunter thought that he would have been one of the first to sign up for it. But he wasn't going to let one person slip through his fingers; he was going to prove that he could win, no matter what it takes. He had been presented with an opportunity and he had to take it. Perhaps Sebastian leaving the Warblers wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.

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**I expect you didn't exactly expect Sebastian to be the one to flip out on Hunter did you? But I will try to keep it canon in relation to Blaine coming around and there will be some good fun with relation to what happens over the whole incident. What do you think?**


	6. Show Time

***puts hands up defensively* yes, yes, I know it has been over a month since I updated and I hope that this won't put you off! Here is chapter 6 and finally we see what went down and what the curious results are!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the monologue that Hunter says in the video**

**Also, I couldn't remember who the third contenders at Season 4 Sectionals were so I just made up and were really unoriginal so do tell me and I'll correct it if you do know!**

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'Rule number one of both stealth and magic: you can't see black against black.' – Hunter Clarington

He wasn't quite sure whether it was the excitement of breaking into a place that he knew very little about or whether it was the fact that he was finally doing what he did best, stealth, that Hunter waited for Cameron, Ethan and Nick patiently at the bottom of the main staircase with a smile on his face. finally Nick and Jeff's blossoming romance had been put to use as the fact that he didn't want to get Nick into trouble, was the reason Jeff was willing to let them back in as they were going to be very back late from McKinley, way past curfew at 11.30pm. He had forgone his Dalton uniform for the one thing that he genuinely wanted to keep of his uniform from Colorado, his stealth uniform. Night exercises were where he had excelled at in the academy and he had kept all of his gear as well as camouflage. It was NOT makeup; he had learned that they had two very different textures.

He nodded in approval as he saw the sophomore Andrew and their own Bokke Ethan make their way down the staircase, appropriately kitted out in all black clothing. Nick was driving, Hunter could drive since he was 15 but he didn't have a car and so he, when he came down a couple of minutes later, was the only one not with camouflage all over his face and hands. With a nod of approval, Hunter turned and led the three other boys out of the door which was just ajar and into the cold night air. The breeze made the weather that little less bearable but they could deal with it, they had anticipated most weather reports when planning their outfits and Hunter's uniform was for all eventualities so he was well prepared.

The four boys jumped into Nick's black Mercedes. It was a beauty and Hunter momentarily admired it before double checking that they had all the equipment they needed. It was imperative that they had it all otherwise the mission would be futile. Hunter thought of the irony that the one thing that the military academy had taught that was now so useful was being put into use for the one thing that had been so frowned upon. It was a bittersweet moment and he hopped into the seat next to Nick in the front as Cameron and Ethan duly took the backseats. Nick hooked up the Satnav and entered the necessary details before they all felt the familiar sensation of moving as the car pulled away with barely a jolt and they were away, off to take their revenge.

And from the fourth floor, the silhouette of a boy could be seen watching the car draw out of the gates and down towards Lima. The car now disappeared around a corner and into the black of the night; he turned back and out of sight, satisfied.

.

There was no mention of what had happened the previous night from any of the boys who had not made it back until 1am. Naturally there were bags under the boys' eyes certainly but it was put down to hard work by anyone who wasn't a Warbler. The singers knew better than to talk about it, even by the most adventurous of the Dalton boys it was considered that perhaps they had gone too far. Those who might have studied the four boys would have noticed a sparkle in their eyes, their smiles a little more consistent and despite the lack of sleep, alertness in class that was almost worrying.

But they were all waiting. They were waiting for the end of the day, when classes would end and they would be released, for 15 certain boys to Warbler Hall where they had placed the prized object. It had been a concern for a moment as to what they would leave in the place of the trophy and the video had been Cameron's idea, they would get the laptop back within a week if all went according to plan. Hunter had another one back at the dorm, he wouldn't miss it much. He had revealed himself in part to the New Directions; they hadn't done their homework clearly as they should have done. But he knew their weak spot was in not knowing the Warbler secret weapon in him. Their second weak spot was in a certain ex-Warbler. And he would get Blaine Anderson back to Dalton if it was the last thing he did. He knew that without Blaine Warbler, the group would subconsciously refuse to be at their best as they had been for the last few weeks. He had experienced nothing but restraint from them but potential and talent would be unleashed as soon as the Hobbit was back in town.

But when they reached the Warbler Hall, the first boys there found it locked. Very few rooms and doors at Dalton were locked as the areas itself was very secure and it wasn't until Hunter reached the door and took out a key that the prize was revealed. Hunter smiled at the group before opening the doors. "Gentlemen, I know you have been waiting all day for this. Allow me to indulge you, our mission was successful and they only have one clue which will ensure that we see the return of a certain curly-haired ex-Warbler." Trent, Jon, Sebastian and Jeff exchanged surprised glances, they hadn't heard about this. "I present to you the trophy that should have been our, First place at Nationals."

He had finished unlocking the door and, with a grand flourish that would put even the most flamboyant and extravagant of the Dalton boys to shame, he threw open the ancient doors. Not many boys had been aware of which of McKinley's trophies they had stolen, but they had not exactly expected the boys to go for the biggest and the best, to steal the prized 1st place at Nationals trophy, something that any show choir would covet.

"How the heck did you manage to get that?" Flint asked in awe, his mouth hung open wide.

Hunter smirked at threw a glance at Ethan. "How many of you were aware that Ethan has a particular proclivity for breaking into glass cases without anything being set off?"

Ethan returned the smirk. "It was an easy job; McKinley's defences are very weak."

Jon frowned. "Great, so they are going to be absolutely furious that we stole the trophy. How the heck are they going to know it was us?"

Hunter flicked on the television in the corner and it played the video that he had recorded and loaded onto the laptop. "Greetings New Directions. You have been living as National Champions on borrowed time and that ends now. We have your trophy; soon we'll have your title as well. The great reckoning is at hand, Sectionals. Your move." He turned the TV off as it finished.

"But how do they know that it wasn't just an impersonator? They don't know you." Trent queried, trying to understand Hunter's logic.

Hunter sighed deeply. "Gentlemen, perhaps we can take a seat so you can still ogle at it without your feet killing you." The boys agreed with much gusto and took their seats on the variety of sofas and seats around the room, many of them still fixated with the trophy of gold that now stood with pride in the cabinet at the side of the room. "My logic is thus, Trent." He addressed the issue immediately. "Naturally they will be aggravated further if they understand that it is someone with whom Blaine had a good friendship with at Dalton or in the last year. If they are smart enough to figure it out, they would note that there would be new Warblers entering the stream and some leading, naturally showing that it has to be a new Warbler who stole it. It would have had more interesting repercussions if it had been someone Anderson knew, but his curiosity will get the better of him and he will come back. Trust me."

"I'm the Doctor." Someone quipped and the seriousness of Hunter's speech dissipated slightly but Hunter's attention had turned to Sebastian who was clapping slowly.

The ex-captain's face was unreadable. Half way between a smirk and infuriated, the boy was walking towards Hunter, his stance more defensive than he had ever seen him before. "I think I might have just been swayed."

Sebastian could tell he was keeping Hunter on edge. He knew that his staying on in the Warblers was dependent on this moment and there was a degree of satisfaction knowing that the success of the Warblers and the reaction to the trophy all now lay in his hands. He hadn't had this kind of power for a while and for the first time he wasn't sure how to deal with it. He forced a smirk on his face as he stood before Hunter. He hated what the guy was doing to the Warblers, it was ruining every sense of pride that the group had since their creation nearly 150 years ago. The boys had had their first dosage of the PEDs yesterday, when Sebastian had left the room and he could oddly see the changes to the boys. They were far more alert and although he couldn't see any physical changes, he had no doubt there would be some soon enough. All except Trent and Sebastian swore to himself that he would talk to his friend about it, sometimes thing are done for a very specific reason and Sebastian had learned that Trent was very deliberate about his actions.

"I have to say that i am rather impressed Hunt." He chose his words carefully and deliberately. He paused, purely for dramatic effect as the expectation and tension in the room was palpable, surveying the room with his piercing eyes. "Alright, I'll stay." There was a sigh of relief from the assembled group and Sebastian was secretly pleased that people so genuinely thought highly of him as a member of the Warblers. "But I might reconsider it if we fail to get Blaine back."

Hunter nodded and stuck out his hand for Sebastian to take. "Deal?" Hunter queried, trying to disguise the delight in his voice.

Sebastian nodded as he took the senior's hand, shaking it firmly and not breaking eye contact. "Deal."

Hunter smiled approvingly as they broke and he perched himself on top of the Council table. "Now, I thought you might all also like to know who we are facing at Sectionals and what our theme is." There were a few raised eyebrows at this, in all the excitement about the raid; they had forgotten the very competition that was bringing it on. "The theme I have chosen for the group, our real selling point as boys in blazers who will be able to groove, is Let's Have Fun. I believe I don't need to expand on that." There were a few nods of approval, they had been very mundane with their songs before and this new approach could be what gets them through. "Our first opponents are from Cleveland, the Charlie Browns. And," here he paused for dramatic effect as this was another big shock for the group, "from William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio, the New Directions."

A mixture of confusion, anger, annoyance and intrigue rose in the voices of the boys at this new piece of news. But there was a new emotion from the back as Nick put his head in his hands. "We only managed to beat the New Directions two years ago because we had the Council and Blaine. Now the Council have graduated bar Thad and Blaine is on their side, how the hell are we going to win?"

Jeff rubbed his boyfriend's back comfortingly, trying not to let the noise of disappointment and frustration escape from him either. "We have to hope that whatever the PEDs are going to do, manage to do and we can show that we weren't so dependent on our leaders when we were sophomores."

And as he surveyed the scene, Trent Nixon felt a pang of sadness. He knew that with the injections of PEDs, the New Directions had no hope of winning against the Warblers. But that wasn't fair. He wasn't just a conscientious objector and for reasons he couldn't seem to tell Hunter, his other friends knew a little about but he couldn't bring himself to tell the new boy, he was physically unable to take the medication. It meant he was free to do something to make sure that the Warblers won, fair and square. He just had to figure out what that was.

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**What do you think?**

**Next chapter: the Warblers receive their answer to the message and something is revealed about the new Warbler captain's past that no one expected.**


	7. Lazy Saturday Findings

**HOLLA! Sorry, this should have taken quicker but I have had exams over the last month and I hope that now I am in summer, I can update a little faster. As I promised, here we have the boys finding out a little bit about their new captain. I hope you enjoy it!**

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'You cannot hide from the internet. If you need information, the internet is the place to go. The internet will hunt you down and expose the things that you would have wanted to have kept locked away forever.' – Hunter Clarington

There was a degree of satisfaction and maybe a hint of swagger in the way that Hunter strolled into Warbler Hall just a night after they had stolen the Nationals trophy from William McKinley. The glittering statue had been in their presence for around 36 hours and it was a beautiful Saturday mid-morning so the curtains had been thrown wide open and sunlight streamed in through the glass and fell onto the currently empty Warbler Hall, light reflecting off the metal of the trophy and bouncing all around the room. The prize had been placed in a cabinet at the far end of the room where it couldn't be in the way of rehearsal for Sectionals which was creeping up on them. The shock of now 'owning' it was yet to wear off and there had been a slight surprise but respect for privacy when Hunter had imposed a ban on anyone coming into Warbler Hall who wasn't a Warbler, the prize had to be a secret for as long as they could get away with it.

Hunter smiled as he lowered himself into the comfort of the armchair and stroked Mr Puss absent-mindedly as the fluffy white cat jumped up onto his lap and settled down. He had managed to maintain his demeanour and lie about the truth for the moment but he wasn't sure how much longer he could last, how the test of time would last against the web he had created to protect himself.

The steroids were working their magic on his young protégées, Trent being the only problem but Hunter would have that problem soon fixed. Trent was not necessary for the success of the Warblers and while he was a friend, success came before friendship, the academy had most certainly taught him as much. They still had 14 Warblers which more than constituted as enough for a Sectionals performance. The group had been practising Whistle and My Dark Side for a while now and they were excellent numbers, perfectly fitting the specification they had decided upon. But there was something about My Dark Side that wasn't satisfactory, it wasn't showy enough and didn't give the boys a chance to show the newfound energy they had gained thanks to the boosters. They needed a number that would blow the minds of the audience and the judges. Whistle was already quite impressive, but it didn't contain anything that would make someone especially sit up, his backflip didn't really count. And while Sebastian and Nick (the boy had been promised a solo for Sectionals and he didn't break promises, Nick had a fine voice anyway) did a superb job of My Dark Side, again it wasn't quit e the song that would do the job.

As he bathed in the sunlight that made him feel warm and ever so slightly too comfortable, he smiled with the knowledge that no one knew the secret he was not willing to share. It was almost subconscious as Hunter put his hand to his collarbone, he could still feel and see the effects of what had happened now four months ago. He had run as soon as he could but that had taken time, he was just glad that he was out and the bruises were healing. Soon none of the boys would be able to get a glimpse of them. But the mental scars of that would never fade; they would haunt him forever, no matter what good happened to him. But they couldn't know the real reason why he was at Dalton. The Warblers were only a part of the reason; it was far more complicated than that. Little did he know that he wasn't safe. With the capabilities of the internet, no secret could remain as such for very long.

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A lazy Saturday was just in order for the seniors at Dalton. They basked in the knowledge that their finals weren't for another few months, they didn't have to start revising for at least another two. So they had to use the free time as freely as they could with as little work being done as they could not which wasn't wouldn't have been very much with the weak November sun shining favourably down on them, a rare warmth in its rays making an appearance.

This Saturday, as Hunter sat in the Warbler Hall, found a group of friends bathing in the glow and warmth that they were being offered on the rooftop of the building that held their dorms. They were alone for once, no doubt the younger years were doing something strange like playing sports that was important to some of the seniors but not as much as just chilling with the friends they now had very little time with.

Jon had his headphones in and lay on the smooth concrete, bare chested and shades over his eyes as he let the music and beat relax him. Nick, Trent and Jeff were in the middle of a heated game of Blackjack, Thad watching with a small smile on his face as he refereed the heated match, having got out first, a win for the first time for him. The others now vid to join him and it looked at the moment as if Trent would join him, the boy keeping his good cards close and playing a perfect poker face. Sebastian sat a little apart from this intriguing scene, engrossed on his laptop. He had been asked by Hunter to find out as much about their potential opposition for Sectionals and do some research on the newest members of the New Direction from what they gaged from hacking McKinley files. It wasn't exactly legal but a piece of cake for the brilliant minds that inhabited some of the seniors and juniors in the Warblers.

Feeling spontaneous and honestly rather intrigued, Sebastian typed his captain's name into YouTube, followed by the ominous 'Springboks Choir' that he had been a part of. It wasn't hard to find a decent video, Nationals had been televised and CNN had been the ones privileged enough to film and broadcast it. Clicking the YouTube link to one of their performances, Sebastian was torn between two very different emotions that different aspects of the video seed to stimulate as he watched it. On the one hand, the group were simply incredible, the moves slick and regimental and the blend of voices rivalled that of the Warblers, no wonder Hunter had found it easy to lead the group. But it was that boy indeed that meant that Sebastian was struck with horror. The man he knew was most definitely different to the one on the screen. His face was gaunt and drawn; his eyes did not have the light and dance in them that he had become so used to seeing. His voice was still astounding as he led the group in a perfect rendition of The Secret Garden's You Raise Me Up, a harrowing version that seemed darker than uplifting and inspiring that was the essence of the song. But it was his features that were what scared Sebastian. Sebastian Arthur Smythe did not get scared very easily but this indeed was kinda scary. The Hunger in the video was a shadow of the Hunter that he knew, how could he have changed in such a short space of time?

"YES!" Trent's triumphant cry came from a little way away. "Last card and out!"

Sebastian smiled gentle as Trent leapt up and punched the air while Nick and Jeff threw down their cards, defeated. There was never any point in trying to play the game with two people. Now that the game was over, Sebastian felt an urge to share his findings. "Hey guys!" He called and they all looked to him. "I think you need to see this." Nick nudged Jon who started up right and heaved himself up to join the rest of the group who crowded around the laptop, their faces betraying their interest as to what Sebastian had found that would draw them out of their mood. "It's the video from Nationals last year, Hunter's show choir performed You Raise Me Up as one of their numbers and I want to know what you think."

Their interest piqued further, the boys crowded around the screen and it was not surprising how similar the reactions of the boys were, just the sight of the change in their captain was reason enough for them to look horrified and while they marvelled at the talent of the choir, their eyes were drawn back again to the bruises and haunted features that appeared on his face. It was one they were not likely to forget in a hurry.

At the end of the video, Sebastian closed the laptop lid and leant back, putting his weight on his hands as he pressed them on the concrete rooftop. A silence fell over the group, one that was thoughtful, shocked and an attempt to process what they had just seen. "How could he be like that?" Jeff asked, the horror clear in his voice as he shook his head slowly.

Nick blinked away what looked like tears. "Bullying, years of it. I'm," he choked and Jeff drew the boy into a hug, "I'm all too familiar with what Hunter looks like there." He let out a small noise that sounded bitter and hurting. "It's a miracle he didn't kill himself if he suffered so much."

He didn't need to explain any further to the boys as to why he was saying these things. Every one of his closest friends knew about his younger sister's suicide aged 14 last year, none of them had gained such a description before as that. Nick didn't like to talk about it and no one had ever pressed him for details. Many of the boys at Dalton had come to the school for the security and bullying policy it dealt out, many had had to deal with such things that they never wanted to talk about ever again.

They had never really questioned Hunter as to how he ended up at Dalton, they had assumed that his transfer was all there was to it. But they were being forced to think again. Did they really know him? "Why didn't he tell us?" Trent asked, still staring at the laptop.

Jon was looking at his iPod, it wasn't on but it was a staring point. "Perhaps we assumed that we would know by knowing about his Nationals group."

"Which we didn't until now." Sebastian cut in. "Or perhaps he deliberately hid it from us. Why would he do that? We're his friends!"

"There are some things that you keep from even your closest friends." Thad's voice was hollow and void of emotion, as if he wasn't the only one keeping secrets.

"So do we go and find him? Ask about it?" Trent queried, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Nick shook his head. "No. He's only been here two months. We can't just ask him straight out, who knows what his reaction would be."

"But what if he wants us to know?" Sebastian shot back.

"He would have told us then, wouldn't he?" Nick retorted. "No, I suggest we wait to see if Hunter reveals anything and if not, we conduct our own research."

"Isn't that prying though?" Jeff turned to look at his boyfriend. "It seems a little rude just looking into business that might not concern us."

"We're his friends; surely we have some right to know about where he's come from and what the heck happened to have him like that at Nationals." Jon shot back, trying to weigh it all up.

Thad nodded. "You've all got good points. We'll give it time but not much, I do think we should know eventually. The wounds might still be healing and goodness knows what we could set off if we open it again."

There was a nod of assent and Sebastian lay back on the ground, deciding against doing any more research. He needed to work out what he knew and what could happen. Would it change the dynamics of the friendship? For the sake of all of them, he certainly hoped not.

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**Ooooooh, so what do you think? Next chapter sees the return of a well-known Warbler, the best. But admittedly it isn't the happiest of reunions between old friends.**


	8. Return of the King

**HOLLA! How are you all! I'm trying to update every couple of weeks with four stories to write chapters for! But when one is finished soon, this might be even quicker!**

**So this chapter sees a very familiar scene. I DO NOT OWN ANY SENTENCES THAT YOU RECOGNISE! All rights to Fox etc. I have changed and added some stuff to make it flow better nut I hope you like it!**

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'Once you've been a Warbler, you're always one. Sometimes that can come in handy when it comes to persuasion of former Dalton boys.' – Hunter Clarington

Hunter was blissfully unaware of the findings of his fellow Warblers. He had assumed that they would either not connect him in any way to any videos they saw or they wouldn't have seen them at all. He was used to anticipating surprises all the time having experienced them many a time in Colorado Springs; he had been trained to do so.

But in all honesty and truth, he had not anticipated the surprise that came as he strode into Warbler Hall. the group of boys fell silent as usual but this did not last for much long as the quiet was broken by the sound of the Warbler cover of Raise Your Glass rang out in the room. All eyes turned to Nick and the boy turned crimson before then paling slightly. "That's my ringtone for Blaine." He spoke quietly and Hunter smirked, assuming confidence in a rather fortunate turn of events.

Leaning against the back of the desk, Hunter continued to grin, this would be fun. "Pick it up Nick; I think we all know what our dear friend will be talking about."

Nick put it on speaker phone and pressed the answer button. "Hey Blaine!" He tried to sound as cheerful as eh could without his voice quivering which it was in danger of.

A rather loud noise came down the phone that sounded like a car screeching around a corner at a rather frightening speed before Blaine's voice, calm and almost disappointed reverberated around the room. "What the heck is going on Nick?"

Many of his friends winced at how sad and angry Blaine sounded without the need to raise his voice. "What are you talking about?" Nick tried to sound nonchalant but clearly the ex-lead wasn't buying it.

There was a scoff on the other end of the phone. "Oh so as a senior Warbler, you definitely won't know anything about the missing Nationals trophy and the message with the disguised voice of a Warbler left in its place."

There was another visible wince from all who knew the raven haired boy at the bitter anger in the boy's voice. "I had no idea." Nick tried to sound shocked but having actually ben there, it was far more difficult.

Blaine snorted. "Right, Nick. Anyway, I'm on my way to Dalton now, can you certify that I can come through to Mr Ayre and I want to speak to whoever was the perpetrator, I'll meet them on the main staircase in half an hour." His voice was full of authority and Hunter was secretly impressed with the hold that Blaine had over his friends and the group who clearly looked up to him. "I'm coming back to get what is ours."

Nick took a deep breath. "Sure Blaine will do. I'll talk to the boys and sort it out. I look forward to seeing you; we still miss seeing you around."

Blaine's voice softened slightly and it sounded as if he was smiling ever so slightly. "Yeah, I miss you guys too. You know, Brit still calls me Blaine Warbler sometimes." There was a chuckle, affection in it. "Last time I spoke to him, Kurt wanted to send his best wishes to all."

Nick bit his lip, he knew that would have been hard for Blaine to say with what went down between them but he was glad the message had been passed. Nick had grown close to the diva who had quickly become a big part of their Warbler family and they were still infrequently in contact. "I'll pass it on to them. See you." there was a familiar sound of someone clicking off and Nick turned to Hunter. "What on earth do we do now? He wants to see you and yet he was no idea who you are. How do we get out of it?"

Hunter considered this carefully, it was a both a golden opportunity and an accident waiting to happen. Anything could go wrong with what he could he do but then again everything could also go beautifully right. Did he want to take the risk? Would it be worth it? And would the results be what he wanted them to be?

He made up his mind and nodded swiftly, there was nothing wrong with it. "I have a plan. Sebastian," he turned is gaze to the boy to his right who merely raised an eyebrow in recognition, "I want you to meet Blaine at the staircase."

Sebastian frowned. "Why? I didn't do anything for once."

Hunter shrugged his shoulders. "You're friends with Blaine; he knows what you did last year. After all, he was the victim. I don't see why he wouldn't naturally assume it was you this time."

Sebastian winced, it was a sad truth. Hunter clearly had his reasons and a plan that could work. While he disliked the boy and what he was doing to the group, Sebastian had grown to respect him a little bit and so he nodded. "Fine. What do we do from there?"

Hunter glanced to the doorway, checking that no one was going to come in. closing the doors; he went into the middle and gathered the others around him. This was another exciting and potentially difficult challenge.

.

Sebastian wouldn't freely admit to being excited about very many things. He got excited openly about ice cream and movie marathons but not about personal things, such as seeing an ex-crush who now, apparently, was single. He remembered painfully the last time the two of them had seen each other. That was a distant memory that he really didn't want to remember.

His breath caught in the back of his throat once again as he caught sight of the dapper boy walking down the stairs, a vague smiling playing on his lips. He loved the outfits that Blaine wore; they made him look less like he attended a public school and more like he belonged in slacks at Dalton. The boy was home and he intended on making it stay that way.

As they locked eyes, Blaine's smile widened and Sebastian relaxed slightly as he rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Sebastian, of course it was you."

The shorter boy joined him and Sebastian felt a rush as their bodies brushed together accidently. He started to walk towards the library which was the formal name for Warbler Hall; it wasn't actually a library but a study hall that the group had taken over. Blaine would know either lingo. Sebastian smiled as he shook his head. "No, it wasn't, I swear. I turned over a new leaf, remember? No more bullying, blackmail or assault this year."

Blaine raised an eyebrow and Sebastian smiled, he had improved a great deal since last year and it was a shame that Blaine had not been able to see that transformation. Not since…since what happened to Dave occurred as it did. "That must be boring for you." Blaine had not lost his cheek and he smiled slightly, ducking his head with his hands thrust in his pockets.

Sebastian chuckled, playing along with his little game. "Yeah it is." He smirked a little, his signature look. "Being nice sucks." They paused by the doors to the library or Warbler Hall and Sebastian turned to face Blaine. "He's waiting for you in the library."

Blaine frowned; clearly the boy had not done his homework. "Who is?" He asked slowly, trying to comprehend where Sebastian was going.

Sebastian smiled, not smirked. "The guy you're here to see, the one who masterminded the whole operation. The captain of the Warblers."

That made Blaine start; clearly he had not been expecting that. Sebastian sighed internally, how thick was the boy to think that he would still have been captain of the Warblers after what happened last year and their loss at Regionals. "I thought you were captain of the Warblers." He frowned, trying to work out who could have taken over the Warblers from him.

Sebastian jerked his head towards the door. "I'll be waiting out here for you." Blaine smiled and then walked towards the door. "Good luck." He added as he continued to walk. Blaine merely turned his head quickly and nodded before walking in.

Sebastian sighed deeply before turning away and turning back down the corridor, away from where he came. He nodded to Nick and the boy passed him the item that could be the key to getting their best singer back.

.

It really had been so simple. He hadn't thought it would be so easy to convince the best Warbler in a long time to come and meet him. Sebastian had been perfect in his role, now it was his turn to get him back. He needed this; he needed to get him back. It would prove to them all once and for all that he was a part of one of the best acapella choirs in the country. Blaine was the best and all he required was the best. If he couldn't even do that, well what was the point in him being here then was there a point of him having the gift of a beautiful voice and great directorial qualities. He had rarely seen the point of his life until the Springboks had come along.

He could hear them coming along the corridor and steadied himself but methodically stroking Mr Puss who was there for support more than anything else. When he was nervous, Mr Puss was always there. When he was scared, Mr Puss was always there and let him cry, shout or whisper it out. He was the one rock that Hunter could hold onto no matter what was happening.

When he came into the room, Hunter was honestly surprised as to how normal and innocent Blaine looked. He was wearing very good and proper clothing that he wouldn't have placed in a high school outside of Dalton. He smiled gently. "I knew they'd send you." He saw on the boy's face that there was no recognition of the new leader. "Allow me to answer the obvious questions. I'm Hunter Clarington, I'm the new captain of the Warblers and I'm not even remotely bi-curious."

Hunter wanted to smirk at the look of confusion on Blaine's face. He had to put the fact that he wasn't gay to stop any preconceptions that Blaine might have of him. But the boy was still a little confused. "How are you captain of the Warblers when –"

Hunter cut him off, not wanting to dive into that area. That part was too painful to talk about when time was of the essence. "When you've never seen me before?" He could do this; he had recited the partial lie over and over to himself. He wrapped his arms around Mr Puss and gently lowered him to the floor before standing himself and walking over to the fireplace that was never actually lit. Perhaps it would be later in the year when the temperate dropped. "Simple, Dalton just gave me a full scholarship to move me here from Colorado Springs where I lead my military academy choir to a Regionals victory with presidential honours." The scholarship was a lie but the rest wasn't and the presidential honours had been his one crowning moment of glory at the school. The lie covered up the real reason, all the running and past that he had tried so hard cover. "Now I'm here to kick it up a notch, and that starts with you."

Blaine looked unfazed; clearly his mind was not on what Hunter's plan was. He wasn't interested in him, he was on a mission and the steely gaze in his eyes betrayed as such. He fixed Hunter with a stern look. "That's very intimidating, where's the trophy Hunter?" so there was his reason, he had in all honesty forgotten about that. Hunter found it hard to believe that this guy had a GPA of 4.0, the way that he was taking things.

Hunter chuckled, his eyes glancing to the beautiful trophy in its elaborate casing. Blaine didn't miss this though; perhaps he wasn't as stupid as he had acted before. "Don't worry, it's safe. It was just bait after all." He walked towards Blaine and slung his arm around the boy's shoulder, feeling both smug and slightly guilty as the shorter boy flinched. They turned to look at the case before Hunter removed his arm and walked back to the fireplace. "See, you're kind of a legend here, I like that. So here's my offer," his tone dropped and he became more serious than he had been before, "your little diversity club can have its Nationals trophy back, when you re-join the Warblers."

Blaine frowned and Hunter sighed internally. He knew it would never be that easy, he had just hoped it might be. "And why would I ever leave McKinley?"

Hunter smiled to himself; Blaine's earlier revealing piece of information could now be used right in his favour. His senior friends had turned into quite the useful little people in finding out about why Blaine had left and why he had come to Dalton in the first instance. "Why would you stay?" He queried his tone genuine. "I heard you only went there to be with Kurt right?" He knew he had hit a bad spot when Blaine almost visibly winced at the name of the boy who was his ex. He started to walk towards him and came very close up, raising an eyebrow and making his tone almost mocking. "In fact, I hear they even call you Blaine Warbler." That gaged the biggest reaction from Blaine as the boy looked down; he was an easy open book to read. Hunter probed a little further, hoping it would work. "They know you don't belong there, so why don't you?"

It was at that time that Sebastian walked into the room, flanked by Nick, Trent and Jeff. He smirked at Blaine and Hunter as his three friends smiled genuinely at their old friend. "We all know the real Blaine, Blaine." He spoke carefully and recited the two beliefs about the boys who came to the school. "Ambitious, driven." He shrugged, as if it was so simple. "You're a Dalton boy."

Hunter nodded to Sebastian, his voice full of authority to further show that he was the one with the power in the room. "Present the blazer."

Blaine breathed a sharp breath of air as he took in the pristine Dalton Academy blazer that looked brand new. But his expression hardened quickly, he was clearly putting up a façade and honestly Hunter wasn't fazed. "That's not going to work on me." He tried to even out his voice, but they could hear it shaking, they were getting to him.

Hunter raised an eyebrow. He had to break the boy, he had to or this whole thing could fall to pieces. He cocked his head to the side and looked directly into his eyes, intimidating the boy as he knew somehow that he would rise to the bait. "You might be afraid to try it on." That seemed to work as Blaine raised an eyebrow as well before shrugging. Hunter nodded to Nick who moved forward with the blazer and helped put it on him. It fitted like it had never gone away. Blaine seemed to visibly relax but his eyes betrayed his caution. Hunter nodded before moving back towards his chair. "Here's the thing Blaine, you know that Nationals trophy was a fluke. Just like you know we're going to win at Sectionals." He sat down slowly, his voice slowing down to seem more persuasive and it was working as far as he could tell. "Now, I don't want a Dalton legend like you side-lined in his senior year. I want you on the winning side, with us."

Sebastian glanced at Hunter who nodded. They had Blaine exactly where they wanted him and it seemed as if they were close to swaying him. "You know what goes great with a new Dalton blazer?" He grinned and continued as Blaine looked at him blankly. "An impromptu song, what the Warblers do best."

Blaine's eyes widened and he shook his head furiously. "No." He was a stubborn boy, he couldn't let his friends at McKinley down, and he couldn't betray them.

Sebastian rolled his eyes as Hunter glanced from his seat. Nick punched Blaine lightly in the arm as Sebastian tried again. "Come on, one song for your old buddies."

It wasn't working as Blaine glanced to the trophy. "Guys I didn't come here to sing a song, can we get –."

But Sebastian cut him off by humming the opening notes of My Dark Side and soon the three other boys joined him. That seemed to be the breaking point for Blaine as the other Warblers came in, adding the harmonies that they had worked on for the performance at Sectionals. The boy smiled and Hunter was honestly surprised by how gentle the boy's voice was.

He merely observed as he saw a fantastic blend that came from the group who he had learned to know and become friends with over the year. they sounded so much more clean, sharp and with an unseen energy that had most certainly not been brought on the by the steroids they were all on, Trent was the prime example of as such. They were all one under Blaine, the boy had an exquisite voice that Hunter envied slightly, it wasn't tainted by puberty although it had broken. He included everyone as he took command with just the flick of a wrist or an eye contact that lasted less than a moment. Even the boys who had not worked under him were following the commands. It was as if the group had become 10 times better merely by having Blaine take the lead in an impromptu performance. This was the golden Warbler and Hunter knew he had to double each and every single one of his efforts to make sure this boy came back to where he clearly belonged.

And the thing was that the energy was so infectious that Hunter had to join in. he got up as the harmonies softened and came down the middle of a created aisle towards Blaine who looked slightly uncertainty at him. He smiled at punched him lightly in the arm before adding his part to create the song. It was almost effortless to sing along and there was an added element, a depth that was only added by this boy.

At the end of the song, they trailed off as they had practised and Blaine undid his buttons, ready to take his blazer off as Hunter smiled at the shorter boy. Sebastian shrugged. "What did I tell you? Flawless."

Hunter nodded in agreement but then quickly shook his head as Blaine held out the jacket guiltily. "Keep it, it's all yours." His voice hardened the note of friendliness gone. "Don't you think it's time you came back where you belong, Blaine Warbler?"

Blaine took a deep breath, biting his lip with uncertainty. There was a momentary pause as he thought about it before draping the blazer over his arm. "I'll think about it." He murmured before looking to the case. "Were you serious about the deal?"

Hunter nodded curtly. "I'll be happy to return your precious trophy if you come back to us. You make a lot of difference to this group Blaine; you are just underestimated over there. We need you more than they do."

And there was the crux, there was the real reason that they had lured Blaine there, they really did need him. He was the magical spark that lit the Warblers up. Hunter just hoped that Blaine would listen to him and come back. He didn't want to think about any other option happening.

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**What did you think? Did you like it? Did I do it justice!**


	9. Ultimate Blow

**HOLLA! I am so sorry that (according to my neat attempt at trying to give a deadline for each chapter) that this is a grand total of 3 days late! I hope it is worth it! This sees the rest of Dynamic Duets from the look of the Warblers and Hunter.**

**The whole idea of the way to do Fighter (which I DO NOT OWN ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TO OWNERS) was my idea and I have tried to do it. I might try to upload a cover and I will let you know when it is up.**

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'Just because something goes right at the very start doesn't mean that it will turn out for the best in the end. In fact, all the best laid plans go horribly wrong.' – Hunter Clarington

To say that the week that followed Blaine's storming of Dalton and epic performance was eventful was a complete understatement. As he looked back on the event that had made and broken his position as captain, broken with his failure to get Blaine to come to Dalton as the boy had never fully transferred. But he had made his position as captain more concrete by his cool and calm handling of a situation that easily could have got way out of hand. The whole thing could have been ruined and Hunter's perfect façade of need for spacy and privacy for the Warblers as they practise for Sectionals, was the perfect way to keep the stolen trophy a secret.

As Hunter sat in his room, surveying the blank room with so little decoration, he wondered how it had all gone so wrong. No one was speaking to him at the moment, not that it bothered him as he was rather used to it. They had all been so looking forward to having Blaine back, so had he, and he had failed to deliver. Worse, they had now lost the thing that was spurring them on to go and win Sectionals. And in all honesty, he blamed himself. He wasn't sure what had gone wrong but it had to have been his fault as he had masterminded the entire thing. But then he was used to it, every time something had gone wrong that he had been involved in, he had been blamed for.

It had all started when they had received some supposedly good news. After the episode that he had deemed a complete success, Sebastian had been on better speaking terms with him. the whole debacle that had made him certain that the attempt of Live While We're Young that they had performed impromptu about a month ago, would go down perfectly as the replacement for My Dark Side. But the only thing that would be difficult would be then deciding whether Sebastian or Nick could take the lead, both were strong and it had been Flint who had sung in the performance.

Hunter had been at Dalton Academy exactly two months and it had felt like yesterday that he had made his leadership known and cleared with the boys. Had it really been that long since they had last performed Starkid? That had to be rectified very quickly. He sat in the cafeteria between Nick and Sebastian, a full plate of food that was perhaps one of the largest he had eaten in a while. He didn't eat that must for the first couple of weeks; he had always been someone who didn't eat for worry when wanting to make a good impression.

Picking at his Chicken Caesar Salad, Hunter's attention was drawn away from the beautiful smells that were emitting from his food by the sound of an amused voice coming from right behind him. He had not failed to notice the way that the boys opposite him had suddenly smiled and their eyes had lit up like the lights on Christmas trees but in all honesty he had thought it was just something they had heard or realised rather than what they had seen.

A chuckle resounded before the amused voice that he had heard not two days ago sounded out. "I had quite forgotten how much I missed the lunch hall here."

His jaw dropped as he turned in his seat in disbelief to see Blaine in a well-fitting vest over an open-collared shirt and tight jeans, the blazer he had been given sitting comfortably on his shoulders. "You…" he spluttered, lost for words that his crazy and improvised plan had actually worked.

Blaine laughed as Nick and Jeff launched themselves at their friend who was glad he wasn't carrying a tray of food. "I'm completing my transfer papers tomorrow. I miss you guys too much and you were right, I think whatever I have been given in my voice is bettered utilised here."

Hunter stood, a large grin plastered on his face. He offered out a sleek hand with the grin now down to a gentle smile. "Welcome back Blaine."

Blaine took the hand, shaking it firmly and gazing at Hunter directly in the eye, sincerity seeping out of his eyes. "It is good to be back. It's like I'm coming home." he directed his attention to Jon who was grinning like a Cheshire Cat. "I think I'm taking the room that's free next to yours Jon." The boy's eyes lit up and he whooped before also jumping up and giving the shorter boy a large and warm hug.

Sebastian slid along the bench that formed part of the seating for the table. "There's a spare seat here Blaine. Grab some food and join us."

Blaine shook his head. "Technically I'm not supposed to be here, I've got Glee club in about half an hour and I've got to break the news to Sam."

Nick raised an eyebrow, his eyes curious and inquisitive. "Sam? Is there something you aren't telling us Blaine?"

Blaine spluttered his eyes wide and he shook his head furiously. "No, no! Sam helped me to get the McKinley senior class presidency and he's been a really good friend in trying to help me get over Kurt. He'd like you guys, he's fun and is dead talented."

Nick rolled his eyes. "I thought you were going to spill some serious beans." Jeff whined and Blaine put him in a headlock before ruffling his blonde friend's hair with a smile on his face.

Blaine rolled his eyes as he released his friend who nudged him on the shoulder before returning to his seat. "I do have to go though; I've been here for the last hour or so. I'll see you guys in a few days."

He grimaced as the boys complained loudly and Hunter watched his retreating back. Once they had all calmed down, the boys from the other tables casting them rather strange and confused glances, Hunter smirked. "Well in all honesty I had never really figured it might work."

Sebastian offered him a hand. "I guess I offer you an apology. I didn't think it would work and I doubted you." He breathed deeply. "Can we start over?"

Hunter eyed the outstretched hand, a rare sign of humility and acceptance of defeat from the cynical blonde who had been both icily cordial towards him since he had started the boys on the PEDs as well as hostile silence that made many a Warbler meeting more awkward than it honestly needed to be. But here he was now, the ghost of a gentle and gracious smile skimming his lips as his unblemished skin stretched out over the bones and muscles that formed much of the rest of the hand. Hunter knew what else it was made of as well as numerous ways to cause a great deal of pain merely by using his opponents' hand and wrist but he wasn't exactly planning on divulging that or using it for that matter when he was on the brink of a crucial friendship. It was one that could result in the group potentially becoming one of the best show choirs in the country. New Directions wouldn't know what had hit them. Then again, when did they ever if the boys in blazers had something to do with it.

He took the hand and shook it firmly, maintaining the crucial eye contact which told the other that they could be trusted. "Apology accepted, let's move on and concentrate on winning Sectionals."

The boys cheered and Hunter broke out into a grin. "Let's do this." Sebastian nodded as he stood. "How about a little song to cheer us all up?" He jerked his head to the rest of the room. "Gloomy lot, aren't they? Isn't it our job to cheer them up?" His voice was lowered and a cheeky grin was spread wide over his face which the Warblers were mimicking, most of them were there and Hunter could already see Cameron poised to send a text.

Jeff raised an eyebrow. "As head boy I really should condone this idea, there are numerous things that could go wrong."

Nick pouted and gave his boyfriend the best attempt he could at making puppy dog eyes, not that it could nearly compete with their about to be newest member. "Come ON Jeff, we didn't do it last time you condoned it and we aren't eating spaghetti bolognaise unlike last time."

Jeff looked around to see how many teachers were around before he sighed. "Fine then. but two things: One, you are useless at doing puppy dog eyes and two, I did not suggest this and I take no responsibility for any actions you crazy guys decide to do in this performance."

Hunter shrugged. "We won't try anything too strenuous." He looked to his deputy who had finally earned his respect. "What song would you suggest from the repertoire we have?"

Sebastian pursed his lips in thought, his mind whirring as he narrowed the possibilities down by when they were performance, who took the lead and how well it would work where they were. He nodded after a few seconds of deliberation. "I've got it."

He didn't need to tell them what the song was as he hummed the first few bars that opened the song. The boys smiled as they recognised it and Nick jerked his head to Trent, indicating to Hunter that the King of Sass was about to make his mark on the town. Trent stood and started to wander as Cameron's text was sent. From around the room, the repetition of opening notes could be heard and the dull lull of chatter subsided, many turning their heads in interest to see what the boys were going to come up with next. Trent reached his destination, the middle of the room, before opening his mouth and starting to sing.

"After all you put me through; you think I'd despise you. But in the end, I wanna thank you because you've made me that much stronger."

_Well I thought I knew you,_

_Thinking that you were true_

_Guess I, I couldn't trust called your bluff_

_Time is up 'cause I've had enough_

Rather than the aggressive start to the song that Christina had in the video and track, Trent was slow and deliberate, his voice full of regret and sadness._You were there by my side,_

_Always down for the ride_

_But your joy ride just came down in flames_

'_Cause your greed sold me out in shame_

_After all of the stealing and cheating you probably think_

_That I hold resentment for you_

_But uh, uh, oh no, you're wrong_

_Cause if it wasn't for all that you tried to do I wouldn't know_

_Just how capable I am to pull through_

Hunter watched with admiration as the boys dispersed themselves around the room, making sure that the noise then was surrounding the whole place and had captured the attention of the occupants while maintaining the focus on Trent.

_So I wanna say thank you 'cause it_

_Makes me that much stronger_

_Makes me work a little bit harder_

_It makes me that much wiser_

_So thanks for making me a fighter_

_Made me learn a little bit faster_

_Made my skin a little bit thicker_

_Makes me that much smarter_

_So thanks for making me a fighter_

The boy was a natural leader, his voice curled around the notes that lifted him up and he did not try to perform the song physically, rather letting his voice and emotion in it do the work for him.

_Never saw it coming,_

_All of your backstabbing_

_Just so you could cash in on a good thing_

_Before I'd realised your game_

_I heard you're going round_

_Playing the victim now_

_But don't even begin feeling I'm the one to blame_

'_Cause you dug your own grave_

_All of the fights and the lies_

'_Cause you're want to haunt me_

_But that won't work anymore, no more_

_It's over_

'_Cause if it wasn't for all of your torture_

_I wouldn't know how to be this way now_

_And never back down_

It was truly breath-taking to see these boys put out something so pure and simple rather than try to be overly performing.

_So I wanna say thank you 'cause it_

_Makes me that much stronger_

_Makes me work a little bit harder_

_It makes me that much wiser_

_So thanks for making me a fighter_

_Made me learn a little bit faster_

_Made my skin a little bit thicker_

Soon he added in his own little harmony and background music to the mix, earning an encouraging smile from Ethan who was closest to him.

_Makes me that much smarter_

_So thanks for making me a fighter_

_How could this main I thought I knew_

_Turn out to be unjust so cruel_

_Could only see the good in you_

_Pretend not to see the truth_

_You tried to hide your lies, disguise yourself_

_Through living in denial_

_But in the end you'll see_

_YOU – WON'T – STOP – ME_

As the song progressed, the speed grew and Hunter was surprised at how gradually, slow enough that it was almost undetectable; the song was becoming more like the original, Trent's voice growing in volume and sharp precision.

_I am a fighter and I_

_I ain't gonna stop_

_There is no turning back_

_I've had enough_

_Makes me that much stronger_

_Makes me work a little bit harder_

_It makes me that much wiser_

_So thanks for making me a fighter_

_Made me learn a little bit faster_

_Made my skin a little bit thicker_

_Makes me that much smarter_

_So thanks for making me a fighter_

_You thought I would forget_

_But I remembered_

'_Cause I remembered_

_I remembered_

_You thought I would forget_

_I remembered_

'_Cause I remembered_

_I remembered_

It was incredible how good a range the guy had and Hunter almost wished that he had known about this gem sooner.

_Makes me that much stronger_

_Makes me work a little bit harder_

_It makes me that much wiser_

_So thanks for making me a fighter_

_Made me learn a little bit faster_

_Made my skin a little bit thicker_

_Makes me that much smarter_

_So thanks for making me a fighter_

That success had been just about the highest point of the week. Hunter knew that after every peak must come a low point. He should have seen it coming. Perhaps it wouldn't go down as one of his worst moments of his life, but it was a huge blow and had almost driven the rift back apart. Only three days after their successful performance of Fighter did the ultimate blow come. Suspicions had started to arise when Blaine hadn't turned up for class two days after he had supposedly completed his transfer to the school. With no sight of the curly black-haired boy, a little niggling inside Hunter told him that he had not been successful and someone had managed to persuade Blaine to stay at the place they called a school.

The Nationals trophy still sat in the cupboard, the first sign that Blaine hadn't transferred. Hunter sat in his room, measuring out the doses for the next batch of PEDs that were due to be given to the boys that evening, trying to decide what to do with Trent now that he had found out about the boy's talent. Should he chuck him out? Should he just leave him out of Sectionals? Or should he run the risk of their routine going horribly wrong and let him still compete. Ugh, why did it all have to be so complicated?!

Suddenly there was a fierce rapping on the door that was persistent ad didn't seem as if it was going to stop unless he answered it. "Come in!" He called lazily but he immediately changed his posture when Sebastian came rushing in, his eyes wide and his blazer flying behind him.

This indeed was a change from the normally debonair hair that Sebastian seemed to exude. "Hunter…" He panted, bending over and wheezing as he caught his breath. "Hunter…the trophy...i know it sounds crazy…there were two superheroes breaking into the cupboard…"

Hunter stood; abandoning the dosage he was measuring and brushed past Sebastian as he ran. He wasn't quite sure what on earth Sebastian was talking about but whatever it was it couldn't be good at all. He didn't bother with the lift as he took the stairs two at a time. Whoever was breaking in already would have had a good head start on the boys and he had to cut that as quickly as possible. Boys moved out of the way, intimidated by the look of fury and intense concentration on the faces of the two boys as they came charging down the corridors. Up another flight of stairs and through several sets of doors, they finally reached the doors to Warbler Hall.

But they were too late. The trophy cabinet stood wide open, no sign of bad forced entry but the trophy was gone and the window curtain fluttered in the wind, the breeze coming through as it teased at their legs, taunting to further prove the fact that they had been fooled. Running to the open window, Hunter finally understood what Sebastian had been talking about. A black curly-haired boy with a dark blue and black outfit, a raven emblazoned on the back, was running away accompanied by a blonde in a grey suit, the Nationals trophy raised above their heads in triumph.

Hunter couldn't do anything; they hadn't broken and entered illegally because Blaine was supposed to be a student. They couldn't press charges because then their story of coming and stealing it from McKinley would be found out. It was a gruelling stalemate. In the space where the trophy had been, all that was left was a note and a neatly folded blazer. The note simply read: no thanks. I know where my home is and it isn't Dalton any more.

It was like a punch to the stomach. Hunter picked up the blazer, feeling the cotton through his fingers and smelling the raspberry scented gel that Blaine used that still lingered like a long lost memory in the fabric. "So much for a good job." Sebastian spoke after a pause.

Hunter turned on him, anger boiling up in rage. "How was I supposed to know they would stop him? I did all I could Sebastian and now it isn't going to work."

Sebastian rolled his eyes, his anger burning in his pupils. "I know, I'm not stupid. So now your oh-so perfect plan has been completely ruined, how do you suppose we win Sectionals now?"

Hunter hated the tone that Sebastian was using. It was patronising and condescending and he knew he was older than the boy. He stepped up to Sebastian and looked at the boy directly in the eyes. "We are going to win, Blaine Anderson or not. He betrayed us, he let us down. He is not worthy to be called a Warbler when he abandons and plays his own. We are going to crush him and his little diversity club by using the assets that we have and playing to our strengths. Sebastian, we are going to win."

Sebastian looked at him. He hadn't honestly said much more than that they were going to win but there was something in his voice that was persuading him. The fact that Blaine hadn't come back wasn't his fault and he had almost done it. So he nodded. "We are going to win." His voice was equally laced with conviction. "We are going to crush them."

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**Well of course we know that they only attempt! What did you think? Was it convincing?!**


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